Human capital (HC) plays an important role in modern agriculture. The difference in efficiency of assets explains only about a half of the economic performance of agricultural farms, while the other half relies on HC. Although education and training are the main components of HC, it may also be viewed from the perspective of behavioral theories that were taken under consideration in this study. The role of HC in sustainable farming has not been sufficiently explained when it comes to contractual governance (CG). In this study, the meaning of contractual governance was extended and the eco-contractual governance (ECG) concept was proposed, which stands for CG induced by agri-environmental contracts. The main objective of the article is to confirm the latent concepts of HC and ECG and to verify their correlation in view of the standards imposed by the agricultural policy. To achieve this goal, a structural equation model was developed and simultaneous confirmatory factor analysis with ordinal variables was carried out based on the sample of 674 small farms in Poland. The analysis has confirmed a relatively strong correlation between HC and ECG. It was revealed that training plays a crucial role in this relationship, while economic dependence on agricultural policy weakens the effectiveness of both HC and ECG.

According to estimates by the World Health Organization, approximately 44,000 people die prematurely each year in Poland due to excessive air pollution. The European Commission brought a lawsuit against Poland to the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg in 2015 for failure to comply with EU air quality legislation. Due to poor air quality, Poland has been threatened with penalties that could reach €1 billion. Although Poland has managed to significantly reduce emissions from industrial plants, a very serious problem with low emissions persists. This article aims to identify the main sources of low emissions in Lubuskie Province and to indicate the environmental benefits resulting from the modernization of the central heating system, involving the replacement of boilers. The article points out that reducing low emissions from boilers in private houses, due to its significant share in air pollution and the fact that this is an underreported problem, could bring a significant positive ecological effect. Analysing the issue from an economic viewpoint, it should be noted that replacing inefficient coal-powered boilers so far provides the largest ecological effect in relation to the investment costs.

The article examines the relationship between CO₂ equivalent emissions and agricultural production, taking into account additional economic and social variables that correct the considered relationship for the six Central and Eastern European countries over the period 1992–2017. The aim of the article was to confirm or negate the occurrence of the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. Countries that experienced a political transformation and were subsequently admitted to the European Union (EU) undergoing a preparatory period were included. The topic is timely as all EU countries are required to monitor their emissions under the EU Climate Monitoring Mechanism. The discussed problem is significant due to the changes taking place in the common agricultural policy, the choice of actions to be taken by individual countries in their national policies, and the choice of instruments to support the transformation of agriculture. Agriculture has a particularly large impact on emissions, especially N₂O and CH₄. This paper uses GLS (Generalized least squares) panel regression with random effects taking into consideration individual effects for countries. The conducted empirical research confirmed the hypothesis regarding the occurrence of the Kuznets curve in relation to agricultural production. In this situation, it is required to increase the activities of maintaining production growth, with the support of technological changes that significantly increase pro-environmental conditions, because, in the current circumstances, this growth takes place with an increase in CO₂ gas emissions, thus leading to negative external effects.

Solar energy is a source of energy that can meet a significant part of the demand for heat and electricity. However, its acquisition is associated with high variability both during the year and on individual days. The construction of installations due to changes in tariff systems, investment costs and subsidy programs raises doubts as to their profitability. The aim of this study was to assess the profitability of photovoltaic investments for households, considering public financial support. This study used RetScreen Expert software 8.1.2.13 to perform the entire analysis and performance cost, risk and sensitivity simulations. Climate data were imported from ground monitoring stations or from NASA global satellite or analytical data. The conducted research showed the profitability of investments in photovoltaics, even without state support. Differences between regions were insignificant. However, the support system has changed, extending the period of return on investment.

Road transport is one of the key elements of economic development that helps build social and territorial cohesion. The economic development that has taken place in Poland over the last three decades has led to an improvement in road infrastructure throughout the country. Construction of new roads and improvement of existing ones promotes economic development. However, as the number of cars increases, so does the level of air emissions. In reducing pollutant emissions, the analysis of the technological possibilities used and the improvement of their efficiency with the simultaneous minimization of generated pollution is also of particular importance. The purpose of the publication is to present development trends in road transport in Poland and the possibility of reducing emissions in this respect. The method of analysing strategic documents and statistical data was used to achieve this goal. Moreover, the article shows perspectives for reducing the level of emissions from road transport and refers to the assumptions related to the modernization of the transport sector and reducing its share in carbon emissions and its sustainable development in cities.

Poznanie zmieniających się potrzeb konsumentów jest ważnym elementem budowania przewagi konkurencyjnej przedsiębiorstwa. Celem artykułu jest przedstawienie zachowań konsumentów na lokalnym rynku produktów ekologicznych. W artykule przedstawiono zagadnienia związane z rynkiem żywności ekologicznej. Zdefiniowano i scharakteryzowano pojęcie produktu ekologicznego, omówiono kontrolę i certyfikację produkcji ekologicznej oraz czynniki wpływające na jakość żywności i popyt na produkty ekologiczne. Przeprowadzono badanie ankietowe na rynku lokalnym mające na celu scharakteryzowanie uwarunkowań zachowań konsumentów na rynku żywności ekologicznej. Na podstawie przeprowadzonych badań ankietowych i analizy danych statystycznych można zauważyć, że współczesny konsument jest świadomy tego co kupuje. Jakość i skład produktu to najważniejsze czynniki, które wpływają na podejmowane przez nich decyzję. Konsumenci coraz częściej rezygnują z konsumpcji żywności tradycyjnej na korzyść produktów ekologicznych.