The emergence of e-commerce reshaped the traditional trade models, also playing a significant role in meeting the UN sustainable development goals. According to the UN, sustained growth and social development must include resilient infrastructure, foster innovation, allow for better access to information and communications technology, and universal and affordable internet infrastructure. This study explores a multidimensional analysis of e-commerce development in the EU generated by the following factors: education, internet infrastructure, income, and economic freedom. We use an ARDL econometric model and Eurostat data. Additionally, we analyze the time responsiveness of e-commerce growth to changes in these factors. In the long run, our findings identify a stable and positive relationship between e-commerce and all these factors. However, in the short run, our results illustrate significant dynamics between two variables and e-commerce. Specifically, the level of internet access and the percentage of individuals who use the internet daily exhibit a positive short-run impact on e-commerce sales, with the system absorbing shocks within a short period. This research advocates for targeted policies that support innovation, fair competition, and consumer protection in the digital economy. This research provides valuable guidance for policymakers and stakeholders in improving the institutional framework to promote a sustainable development of e-commerce in the EU.

A Study of the Relationship between Foreign Aid and Human Development in Africa | InTechOpen, Published on: 2017-04-26. Authors: Gabriel Staicu and Razvan Barbulescu

The objective of this research paper is to apply a mathematical model to estimate and predict the economic growth of the Caspian countries in the period from 1995 to 2022. We use multiple regression by applying the OLS method to estimate the impact of global oil price, energy resource production per capita, trade, and renewable energy on GDP per capita. The mathematical approach uses fixed and random effects models to assess the overall impact of the independent variables on economic growth in this region and over the period analysed. This study also aims to investigate whether the explanatory variables are cointegrated in the long run; as such, we carry out several mathematical cointegration tests, namely the Pedroni and Johansen tests. The mathematical analysis is completed by the estimation of short- and long-run parameters using the stochastic VAR/VEC models, the impulse response function, and the causality test to assess economic growth in this region. This study’s main finding is that GDP per capita is increasingly influenced by its previous values, which is confirmed by considering lag 1 and lag 2. The results of the Granger causality tests identify several bidirectional relationships between GDP per capita and oil and gas production. These relationships are clearly positive evidence of the growth trend and progress of economic activity in the Caspian region. The practical implications of the study aim to promote and support the use of renewable energy sources. In this sense, policymakers in the Caspian countries should create favourable conditions for the transition to a green economy. An important aspect is the efforts of the government authorities to make their policies more environmentally friendly, as decarbonisation is a good practice in the current context of sustainability and related choices. As the Caspian countries are heavily dependent on conventional energy production, it is essential for them to increase their export earnings from energy resources via diversifying and strengthening new energy opportunities and partnerships.

The transition to a circular economy is imperative in order to confer considerable benefits upon the environment, the economy, and society. The present study aimed to analyse the interdependence and causal relationships between recyclable material consumption as the dependent variable and other independent variables, including the raw material footprint, the trade in recyclable materials, greenhouse gas emissions, investments in the circular economy sectors, the real GDP per capita, renewable energy sources, the circular material use rate, and the population within the 27 EU Member States from 2013 to 2021. In order to achieve the objective, a two-stage economic model was constructed using a panel approach. The research findings indicate a direct and positive correlation between the consumption of recyclable materials and all the aforementioned independent variables, with the exception of greenhouse gas emissions. This study confirms that innovation and investment significantly reduce environmental degradation, and, moreover, the efficiency of investment remains unaffected. A further relationship that emerged from this study is that developed countries have higher resource consumption, which is consistent with the cause of increased consumption being the rapid growth of the middle class around the world. The main conclusion is that Europe cannot achieve sustainable development without a circular economy.

What is poverty and how do we measure it? What is the link between inequality and poverty? What can governments do to alleviate poverty and inequality? Does economic growth reduce poverty in the long run? These are some important research questions that are addressed in this book. It brings together important researchers and university professors to offer some analytical insights into the field of poverty, inequality, and public policies. Using quantitative and qualitative research methods, the authors examine issues relating to (a) contextual, academic, and cognitive differences between rural and urban poverty; (b) the impact of inequality on poverty; (c) theoretical considerations and empirical findings about poverty and inequality with a special reference to Croatia and Pakistan; (d) the role of trade facilitation in reducing poverty in South Asia; and (e) the impact of trade liberalization on economic growth and poverty implications with a special reference to Sri Lanka. The reader of this book will find it concise, with a clearly defined research methodology and findings, and easy to understand. Benefiting of recent statistical data and practical experience from various countries around the world, the findings and conclusions might be helpful to academia and policy makers to find better answers to poverty and inequality in the future.

Open access peer-reviewed chapter