This study investigated the impact of natural resources, urbanization, biological capacity, and economic growth (EG) on the ecological footprint (EFP) in Turkey between 1970 and 2018. The Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) method was used to investigate the short- and long-term effects. The findings indicate that EG and biological capacity increase the EFP in both the short and long term. In addition to these results, the long-term results show that the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis is valid for Turkey and that urbanization has a negative impact on the EFP. The Vector Error Correction Model (VECM) applied to determine the relationship between the variables reveals that, in the short term, unilateral causalities exist from EG to the EFP, from urbanization to economic growth, and from biological capacity to EG. The long-term causality results show a bidirectional causality relationship between the EFP, urbanization and biological capacity. In light of these findings, important policy recommendations are provided for policymakers in Turkey to achieve sustainable growth and improve environmental quality.

This study explores the impact of corporate governance on firms’ environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance, with a focus on board characteristics and ownership structures. Using a panel dataset of 6 financial and 16 non-financial firms listed on the Borsa Istanbul (BIST) from 2013 to 2021, the study investigates how ownership (blockholder, foreign, or institutional) and board composition (size, gender diversity, and foreign directors) influence ESG disclosures. The analysis distinguishes between financial and non-financial firms, revealing that corporate governance mechanisms affect ESG performance differently across sectors. Foreign ownership and the presence of foreign and female board members are positively associated with higher ESG disclosures, while ownership concentration is negatively correlated with ESG performance. These findings suggest caution when comparing firms across sectors based solely on ESG disclosures, as governance factors influence outcomes differently in financial and non-financial contexts. This study provides a detailed analysis of effective corporate governance mechanisms in Türkiye, emphasizing the crucial roles of ownership structure and board composition in enhancing ESG transparency. The results offer valuable insights for regulators and investors, contributing to a nuanced understanding of how governance structures shape ESG performance in both financial and non-financial firms in Türkiye.

Green initiatives and digital transitions in Central European countries are catalyzing significant transformations within the region’s socio-economic landscape, embedding contemporary technologies into daily life and commercial activities. Consequently, this fosters improved environmental quality through sustainable practices. This research unravels the complex interplay between renewable energy consumption, digitalization, and financial development in various national contexts, providing key insights into their respective and collective impacts on environmental quality. This study investigates the relationship among environmental quality, digitalization, renewable energy consumption, financial development, and economic growth in Central European countries, analyzing data from 1995 to 2019. An analysis of the panel data reveals a statistically significant positive relationship between economic growth and carbon emissions, and a negative relationship among digitalization, renewable energy consumption, and carbon emissions. In Central European nations, including the Czech Republic, Hungary, Latvia, and Slovakia, digitalization serves a mediating role in the relationship between renewable energy consumption and environmental quality. However, the role of financial development as a mediator between renewable energy consumption and environmental quality manifests varied impacts across different countries. These findings hold the potential to guide policy recommendations for the countries under consideration.