Purpose: This study presents a systematic review of the literature on Circular Economy (CE), examining its theoretical foundations, governance mechanisms, enabling technologies, and implementation challenges in various contexts. Design/methodology/approach: Following the PRISMA guidelines, the review covers peer-reviewed articles published between 2017 and 2025. The Scopus and Web of Science databases were searched using a defined chain strategy. After applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 111 articles were selected and analysed thematically. Results: The results highlight the fragmented and evolving nature of the debate on CE. Four main dimensions emerged: (i) conceptual foundations, with competing paradigms between economic and ecological schools; (ii) policies and governance, where regulatory gaps and incompatibilities between scales remain fundamental constraints; (iii) technological enablers, particularly digital tools and renewable solutions, with varying levels of maturity; and (iv) barriers to implementation, including financial, institutional, and cultural constraints. The literature reveals regional asymmetries, sectoral fragmentation, and limited integration of CE into broader sustainability strategies. Originality: This study contributes by offering a structured synthesis of the field of CE, identifying dominant patterns and critical gaps. It also proposes a future research agenda focused on governance innovation, technological integration, and coordination between scales to promote circular transitions.

Green finance is a cornerstone of sustainable investment, but it highlights the critical importance of transparency, traceability, and financial efficiency within an environmental, social, and governance framework. This review article examines the potential of green finance as a pillar for accelerating investment in sustainable pathways, particularly using green bonds and the innovative mechanisms offered by decentralized finance (DeFi). Green bonds are highlighted as a key instrument for channeling capital toward green projects, while DeFi is explored as an innovative tool with the potential to democratize access to finance and enable micro-investments in sustainability projects with a relevant social impact. This article examines both mechanisms in terms of their ability to increase the efficiency and reliability of green finance ecosystems. The analysis also explores emerging challenges such as regulatory constraints, the threat of greenwashing, and technological limitations associated with the implementation of blockchain and artificial intelligence. By addressing these barriers, the article provides strategic recommendations for achieving greater transparency and reliability in green finance markets, thereby fostering investor confidence and broader market growth. It also identifies research gaps and proposes new avenues to advance the integration of sustainable finance, ensuring its scalability and inclusion in the promotion of global sustainability. Received: 16 November 2024| Revised: 17 February 2025 | Accepted: 27 February 2025 Conflicts of Interest The author declares that she has no conflicts of interest to this work. Data Availability Statement Data sharing is not applicable to this article as no new data were created or analyzed in this study. Author Contribution Statement Natália Teixeira: Conceptualization, Methodology, Investigation, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing, Visualization, Funding acquisition.

The relationship between environmental sustainability and economic growth has sparked extensive academic and political debates. This study explores the causal dynamics between these factors by comparing the most and least sustainable countries globally. Using a quantitative approach, 20 countries were analysed, and divided into two groups based on their levels of sustainability, from 1990 to 2019. Regression analyses reveal that economic growth drives the adoption of renewable energy, while sustainability practices strongly correlate with better economic performance in more sustainable countries. These findings suggest that sustainability can act as a catalyst for economic growth, especially in developed countries. Simultaneously, in less sustainable countries, economic development may precede and eventually support environmental sustainability. This study contributes to understanding how sustainability practices influence economic growth and vice versa, with implications for the development of policies aimed at integrating environmental and economic objectives.

In recent years, the role of leadership in increasing employee satisfaction (ES) has received significant attention, with emotional intelligence (EI) emerging as a key factor in promoting effective leadership (EL) in organizations. Although research has demonstrated the positive impact of EI on workplace outcomes, the interplay between perceived LE, EI, and ES remains underexplored. This research is part of this theme and aims to investigate the influence of the perceived levels of LE and EI of SE leaders in the work environment. This study highlights the importance of integrating emotionally intelligent leaders into organizational structures to improve SE, which subsequently contributes to organizational success. A quantitative methodology was used, with data collected through the application of three questionnaires: one to assess the perception of LE, another to measure EI, and a third to assess SE. The results indicated a positive correlation between all constructs. Employees with more favorable perceptions of their leaders’ EI levels and leadership effectiveness reported greater workplace satisfaction. We also found that LE and EI significantly predicted ES. These findings emphasize the need to foster leadership that is not only competent, but also emotionally intelligent to increase workplace satisfaction and productivity.