Climate change is a major global concern closely related to the strategies aimed at reducing energy consumption and increasing energy efficiency. Over the last decades, the interest in the development of renewable energy (RE) has grown exponentially. In the case of the European Union (EU), the Renewable Energy Directive sets rules to achieve a 32% of total energy consumption to be covered through RE by 2030. In order to achieve this goal, it is important to know what are the main driving factors of RE consumption (REC). This study aims to analyze the impact of economic and social factors on the share of REC in total energy consumption in the EU over the period 2001–2015. For doing so, we estimate a Panel Corrected Standard Error (PCSE) model. The results obtained show that economic factors have a negative effect on REC. In contrast, social factors like education exert a positive effect. This suggests that it is necessary to adopt a holistic approach that includes not only economic but also social aspects in order to foster REC.

In order to adequately assess energy policies and set clear objectives, a key preliminary step is to know the energy use patterns of the different countries. This paper estimates the evolution of the total energy use over the period 1995–2015 in four European Union (EU) countries, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, and Spain, representative of two different energy patterns, the “Southern” one and the “Eastern” one. For doing so, we employ a Multi-Regional Input Output (MRIO) model. In difference with previous studies, in addition to differentiate between domestic and foreign use we distinguish whether this energy is produced domestically or abroad. The results obtained show a certain convergence in energy intensity across the four countries examined because of the radical transformations experienced by the Czech Republic and Hungary. Nonetheless, energy intensities are still substantially higher in Eastern than in Southern countries which confirms that the first group of countries have still a long road to go, especially regarding the incentives that their industries have to use energy efficiently. Taking our decomposition of total energy use, the reductions in total energy use were mainly caused by a high decrease in the importance of the domestic use of energy produced domestically. At the same time, a growing importance of the role played by the energy produced abroad was observed. These trends confirm the great importance of global value chains and the steady internalization of energy use. This methodology could be further applied to other countries.

El cambio climático es una gran preocupación mundial y está estrechamente relacionado con las estrategias utilizadas para generación y consumo de energía. Así, la búsqueda de fuentes de energías renovables ha crecido exponencialmente en las últimas décadas. A nivel de la Unión Europea (UE) se estableció que para 2020 el porcentaje de EERR debería cubrir un 20 por cien del consumo total de energía y para el 2030, al menos un 32 por cien. En este sentido, el objetivo de este trabajo es analizar el efecto de factores económicos y sociales en el consumo de energías renovables en el período 1995-2018 en los países de la UE, considerando, por un lado, el grupo UE-15, y, por otro, los 13 países que se incorporaron a la UE desde 2004. A través de la técnica de datos de panel se estimaron modelos que permiten concluir que el comportamiento de las variables es distinto al considerar la UE-28, el grupo UE-15 y el grupo de los 13 nuevos países miembros. Para cumplir con el objetivo propuesto para 2030 es necesario tener en cuenta la heterogeneidad entre países y elaborar planes que combinen aspectos económicos y sociales.

This study examines the determinants of renewable energy consumption among BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, Iran, and Indonesia) between 2000 and 2022. Using static (Fixed and Random Effects) and dynamic (First-Difference GMM) panel data models, the research investigates how economic, institutional, and social factors influence renewable energy transition. The results reveal structural heterogeneity within the bloc. Among the founding members, renewable energy consumption is positively associated with governance quality and trade openness, while GDP per capita exhibits a negative relationship, consistent with the Environmental Kuznets Curve hypothesis. In contrast, the new members show strong energy dependence and limited institutional capacity, with dynamic models confirming high persistence in energy consumption and weak responsiveness to economic and policy changes. Variables such as education and life expectancy were omitted in the dynamic specification due to limited temporal variation, without compromising model consistency. Diagnostic tests (Hansen, Sargan, and AR(2)) confirm the robustness of the estimates. Overall, the findings highlight the importance of strengthening institutional governance, technological innovation, and intra-bloc cooperation to advance energy transition and achieve sustainable development across the BRICS economies.

Objetivo: Relatar a experiência de um Enfermeiro na Atenção Básica no interior do Amazonas. Relato de experiência: A consulta de enfermagem é feita de forma mista, entre os atendimentos dos programas e demanda livre, sobretudo por existirem várias comunidades rurais circunvizinhas que buscam atendimento quando comparecem a sede do município para receber seus benefícios sociais ou outros. Tal ação gera alta demanda de atendimento para o Enfermeiro, uma vez que não desempenha apenas essa atribuição. Durante a realização do estudo, observou-se forte pressão de demanda para o Enfermeiro, causando uma restrição de assistência domiciliar, fato esse que expressava uma atitude ambígua, levando a uma divisão de opiniões sobre a pertinência ou não da visita domiciliar como instrumento prioritário. Considerações finais: Muitas são as dificuldades enfrentadas pelo Enfermeiro, alta demanda, equipe defasada, recursos insuficientes, falta de insumos e outros. Ressaltamos que estudos como esse demonstram a necessidade de buscar melhorias, reivindicando direito de exercer aquilo que lhe compete, resultando em seu processo de trabalho otimizado.