This study examines the cointegration and short- and long-run causal relationships between economic growth and CO₂ emissions, fuel consumption and the amount of freight transported by road transport in the Visegrad Group countries between 1990 and 2019. The autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) bound testing methodology was used to develop the results for each tested dependent variable. The results confirmed a long-run cointegration between economic growth and fuel consumption by road transport in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. In addition, a long-run relationship between economic growth and freight volume and CO₂ emissions by transport was demonstrated for Slovakia. For Poland, there was only a long-run relationship between energy consumption by road freight transport and CO₂ emissions. In the short run, relationships were shown between the volume of freight transported by the road freight transport sector and CO₂ emissions for Hungary and Poland. Short-run relationships between economic growth and the volume of freight transported in Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary are also interesting observations. The obtained results expand the information resources needed to make decisions on the direction of change in road transport. Additionally, the results can be used to prepare a proper environmental policy for road freight transport within the framework of the European Green Deal.

The growing complexity and intertwining of different socio-economic issues both in individual countries and internationally mean that single-theme analyses do not consider all the relationships and thus have cognitive limitations. Therefore, studies that combine several research areas are increasingly common in the literature to clarify the connections and relationships. In this study, considering the sequential nature of the stages, a combined analysis of eco-efficiency, eco-innovation, and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) was performed. The analysis was carried out for 27 European Union countries in 2017–2019. Dynamic Network SBM and Dynamic Divisional Malmquist Index were used for the study. The research results show that the EU countries achieve relatively higher efficiency results in eco-innovation and SDG than ecoefficiency. The average overall efficiency level for all EU countries was only 0.63. The change in productivity was influenced by both the frontier shift and catch-up effect, but only with regard to eco-efficiency and eco-innovation. At the same time, the frontier-shift effect did not affect the change in SDG productivity.

In Poland, the development of renewable energy primarily focuses on solar energy, especially through household prosumer installations. One emerging solution for promoting distributed renewable energy is energy cooperatives. The main aim of the research was to identify the legal and socioeconomic factors influencing the formation and growth of energy cooperatives in Poland and to provide recommendations for their development. The research, conducted in 2024, covered 47 energy cooperatives. The data gathered included information from the National Court Register (KRS), the National Support Centre for Agriculture (KOWR), and qualitative research through in-depth individual interviews using the CATI technique (computer-assisted telephone interview). The findings highlight the need to streamline legal regulations concerning energy cooperatives, particularly the dual registration system (KRS and KOWR), which delays operational start-up. They also suggest reviewing restrictions on the area and power capacity for renewable energy distribution. Proper training for cooperative managers and network operator staff is essential. Given the early stage of Poland’s energy cooperative development, ongoing monitoring is necessary. Further research will aid in creating effective tools to foster the growth of distributed renewable energy, especially through energy cooperatives.

This study aims to provide empirical evidence on whether using renewable and non-renewable energy, CO₂ emissions, and the resulting changes in temperature and precipitation can alter cereal yields in European Union countries. To this end, a panel data set covering 1992–2021 has been used to analyse the impact of climate change and economic factors on cereal production in European Union countries. The study employed various analytical techniques to better understand the impact of climate change and economic factors on cereal crop yields. These included using annual average temperature and rainfall to measure climate change, energy consumption, and economic growth to analyse the economic aspects. To achieve the objective, feasible generalised least squares (FGLS) models with robust standard errors and bootstrap and a quantile regression (QR) model with marginal analysis were employed. The Westerlund cointegration test confirmed the presence of cointegration between cereal production and climate variables, economic growth, and energy consumption. The results indicate that increases in temperature and precipitation may contribute to increased cereal production in European Union countries. In contrast, energy consumption, including renewable energy and CO₂ emissions, may have a nonlinear effect on cereal production. Quantile regression analysis suggests climate change may impact crop yields most in countries with low and moderate cereal production per hectare. Increased CO₂ emissions may increase yields in the initial period, but excessive CO₂ may negatively impact cereal production in the long term. It would be advisable for countries with low and moderate crop productivity to consider implementing technological advances and combating global warming by modernising cultivation methods and making greater use of renewable energy sources.

In the 21st century knowledge-based economy, long-term economic growth and development depend on the ability to use the knowledge and technology so as to create product, process, organisational, marketing and even social innovations. The knowledge and technology, human resources and social capital (facilitating the transfer of technology from the world of science to the economy), comprise the most important production factors today. Research and development (R&D) activities are among the diverse determinants affecting the economy’s ability to innovate. They are carried out by public technical universities. One of the tasks that these entities face is to conduct basic, industrial (applied) research and development works. Their results can then be transferred to industrial and service enterprises as novel solutions. Research and development activities of universities are financed mainly from public sources, which suggests the need to assess the efficiency of this task. This can be done with the use of various methods, e.g. the non-parametric DEA method. The purpose of the paper is to measure the efficiency of research and development activities of public technical universities in Poland with the aid of the DEA method. The fourteen universities which in the years 2015–2017 reported to the Ministry of Science and Higher Education (MNiSW) were included in the study. The efficiency of the universities in filing new patent solutions and being granted patents was analysed. The results acquired indicate very low and low efficiency of most Polish technical universities. This is due both to a small number of patent applications and a small number of patents granted. In the examined period, the group of most efficient technical universities in both aspects comprised 4 to 5 universities.