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Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) every year produces peace setting scores of many countries over the globe. The peace index score (PIS) and its ranking are fabricated by involvement of numerous recognised variables. The internal and external violence factors and their intensity regulate the strength of such scores. The present study deliberates such peace scores and rank of the countries in terms of regional variation and income class specifications. The study uses alteration of rank over three consecutive years and the growth of the PIS to elucidate the disparities over the region and income classification. The study recognised that income classification of countries smoothly elucidates the rank differences in terms of peace scores, but regional variation wise enlightenment remains misnomer. Further, this study contemplates four violence indicators and their growth over three years to describe the non-conformities of peace score between the countries. Studies acknowledged that inter-correlation between the peace growth scores and also between the growth of violence indicators is the significant factor to comprehend the peace score behaviour. Over the years, studies confirm that high-income countries are able to improve their PIS though there has large levels of inconsistency among countries. Among the regional specification, studies perceive that countries around the globe improved their peace score during 2018–2019, rather than 2019–2020.

This chapter examines the influence of external public borrowing resources on economic progress in Tunisia. The study focuses on two stages: First, the influence is studied in a direct sense and then in an indirect sense, i.e., through a transmission channel of this influence. By applying the autoregressive distributed technique with staggered lags (ARDL), over a period ranging from 1986 to 2019, the results showed that the influence of external borrowing resources on growth seems to be unfavorable in the short term but positive in the long term, hence the importance of the empirical technique chosen. Second, three interaction variables were tested, namely total government expenditure, government investment expenditure, and the real effective exchange rate. The results obtained call for better attention to the channels identified to maximize the positive influence of external public debt on the country's economic progress.

This examine the impact of environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance on financial reporting quality (FRQ) before and during COVID-19 in the Egyptian market.

This study uses quarterly data from 2017 to 2021 to draw conclusions, with a sample consisting of 486 firm-year observations for 27 Egyptian companies listed on the Standard and Poor’s/Egyptian Stock Exchange ESG index. This study uses both firms’ ESG scores and the Beneish Model, an earnings detection model, as proxies for FRQ. COVID-19 effects on ESG performance and FRQ were examined by using Pearson’s correlation coefficient and two-stage least squares.

COVID-19 has a significant impact on the link between ESG and FRQ. This implies that corporations with high ESG performance are less likely to manipulate earnings (having a low M-score) and thus provide high FRQ during the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, there is a significant positive relationship between firm size, leverage and M-Score, indicating that large firms typically present a high FRQ.

The sample size and data availability are the main research limitations. Additionally, this study only considers the effects of firms’ ESG performance on FRQ during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, future research should consider other factors associated with investors’ corporate social responsibility (CSR).

This research has practical implications for market regulators seeking to establish a legislative framework and enhance guidance to mandate managers to provide ESG data and CSR reports appropriate for Egypt and other developing economies in times of crisis.

Promoting the adoption of ESG practices in business, particularly during crises, has the potential to effectively provide high-quality and reliable financial reporting required for investment.

This study aspires to address notable deficiencies in the pertinent literature concerning the relationship between ESG performance and FRQ during COVID-19. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, little is known about how ESG performance changes in response to pandemics in emerging markets. To address this gap, this study examines the effects of COVID-19 on the relationship between ESG performance and FRQ in Egyptian-listed firms from 2017 to 2021.

This study aims to investigate the impact of seaport efficiency on economic growth in Ghana over the period 2006–2020.

Comprehensive methodology, diverse data analysis techniques, including Augmented Dickey–Fuller tests, autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) modeling and Granger Causality, were applied to explore the intricate relationship between Seaport Efficiency and Economic Growth.

The findings reveal a statistically significant and positive association between seaport efficiency and GDP, underscoring the crucial role of efficient seaport operations in actively stimulating economic growth. Beyond seaport efficiency, influential factors such as capital, human capital, knowledge spillover and productive capacities were identified, contributing to the dynamics of economic growth.

The Granger Causality Test solidifies seaport efficiency as a robust predictor of GDP fluctuations, emphasizing its significance in economic forecasting. Notably, this study contributes to the existing body of knowledge with its nuanced exploration of the intricate relationship between seaport efficiency and economic growth in the specific context of Ghana.

This study’s implications extend beyond academia, offering invaluable guidance for policymakers and planners. It serves as a comprehensive roadmap for informed decision-making, emphasizing the pivotal role of efficient seaports in charting a trajectory for enduring and resilient economic progress in the nation.

While the broader theme has been explored in existing literature, the uniqueness of this study lies in its specific application to the Ghanaian context. The choice of Ghana, a nation where maritime transport handles over 90% of trade, underscores the significance of understanding seaport efficiency in this regional and economic setting. The study’s originality is reinforced by incorporating diverse economic variables, aligning with recommendations for a comprehensive analysis of factors influencing port performance.

This paper aims to examine the effects of the real exchange rate on trade balance in Algeria and investigates whether it represents a viable tool to sustain and improve trade performance using the nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag (NARDL) estimation technique and data from Algeria over the period 1980–2018. This study also highlights the role of trading partners with large income endowments in enhancing the trade balance.

The NARDL model is used to unveil potential short and long run nonlinear responses of the trade balance to shocks in real exchange rates and detect whether these responses are different in terms of sign and magnitude. The paper also provides a dynamic multiplier analysis that tests the existence of a J-Curve pattern in Algeria with several policy recommendations.

The findings confirm the existence of a J-curve pattern in Algeria where domestic currency depreciation will worsen the trade balance in the short run and improve it in the long run. The authors also find that the asymmetrical effect of real exchange rate on trade balance is different in sign and magnitude. Finally, the results indicate that an increase in trade partners' income increases the trade balance in Algeria. The findings are of utmost importance with several policy implications.

While some works investigated the nonlinear response of trade balance to real exchange rate movements, their results remain inconclusive and seem to depend on the characteristics of the country/region of study. Moreover, the role of trade partners and their potential impact on trade balance has been relatively overlooked in the literature. The authors fill this gap by examining the asymmetric impacts of real exchange rate and the effect of trade partners' income on trade balance in Algeria.

The purpose of this paper is to make a contribution to understanding the influence of factors such as the water/cement (W/C) ratio and the granular class on the mechanical and physical properties of high-strength concretes (HSCs). In the formulations of HSC, aggregates by their high mass and volume proportion play an important role. When selecting aggregates, it is necessary to know their intrinsic properties. These properties influence the performance of concrete, in particular the quality of the granulate cimentary adhesion.

This experimental study focused on the effect of W/C ratio (0.25, 0.30, 0.35), the effect of replacing a part of cement by silica fume (SF) (8%), the effect of fraction of aggregate on properties of fresh and hardened concrete, the effect of different environment conversation like drinking water and sea water on compressive strength and the study of absorption of water and softening using the mix design method of the University of Sherbrooke combined with the Dreux-Gorisse method which gives good results.

At the end of our work, the examination of the results obtained made it possible to establish the correlations between the formulations studied and the physicomechanical characteristics of the concrete compositions (HSC25, HSC16, HSC8). The results of this study show that the use of three granular classifications (DMAX8, DMAX16 and DMAX25) and three report W/C (0.25, 0.30 and 0.35) in two different conservation environment (drinking water and sea water) give HSCs, HSC25 with an W/C = 0.25 ratio has reached the largest mechanical strength of 90 MPa for different environments of conservation. For selecting aggregates, it is necessary to know their intrinsic properties, these properties influence the strength of concrete. In general, there is a slight decrease in the compressive resistance of the specimens stored in seawater, it can be said that the conservation life has not had effect on the resistance (28 days). The effect of aggressive environment can appear in the long term.

Mixed design and concrete fabrication with a 28-day compressive strength of up to 68 MPa or more of 90 MPa can now be possible used in Jiel (Algeria), and it should no longer be considered to be used only in an experimental domain. Addition of SF in concrete showed good development of strength between 7 and 28 days, depending on the design of the mix.

Concrete containing 8% SF with W/B of 0.25 has higher compressive strength than the other concretes, and concretes with SF are more resistant than concretes without SF, so it is possible to have concrete with a compressive strength of 82 MPa for W/C 0.25 without SF. Like as a result, we can avoid the use of SF to affect the strength of concrete at compressive strength of 68 MPa, and a slump of 21 cm, because the SF is the most expensive ingredient used in the composition of concrete and is therefore very important economically. One of the main factors of production of HSC above 90 MPa is use of aggregate DMAX25, which is stronger with W/B of 0.25 and 0.30.

This mixtures leads to a very dense microstructure and low porosity and produces increased permeability of HSC and is able to resist the penetration of aggressive agents. This combination has a positive effect on the economy of concrete.

The combination of the Dreux-Gorisse method with the Sherbrook method is very beneficial for determining the percentage of aggregates used, and the use of coarse aggregates of Jijel to obtain HSC with 90 MPa and 16 cm of workability.

The study examines the presence of the pollution haven or pollution halo hypothesis in Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) and Next-11 economies. Hence, it empirically tests the direct impact of foreign direct investment (FDI) on the ecological footprint. Further, it explores the moderating role of green innovation on the nexus between FDI and ecological footprint.

The study uses the Driscoll–Kraay (DK) standard error panel regression technique to examine the long-run elasticities amongst the variables for the group of emerging countries, BRICS and Next-11, during the period of 1992 to 2018. Further, statistical robustness is demonstrated using the fully modified ordinary least squares technique.

The empirical finding shows that FDI degrades environmental quality by raising the ecological footprint. Thus, it proves that FDI is a source of pollution haven in BRICS and Next-11 countries. However, green innovation negatively moderates the relationship between FDI and ecological footprint. That means the joint impact of green innovation, and FDI proves the presence of the pollution halo hypothesis. Further, renewable energy consumption is reducing the ecological footprint, but economic growth and industrialisation are worsening the environmental quality.

This study offers policy implications for governments and policymakers to promote environmental sustainability by improving green innovation and allowing FDI that encourages clean and advanced technology.

No prior studies examine the moderating role of green innovation on the relationship between FDI and ecological footprint in the context of emerging countries.

The problem of environmental pollution is becoming increasingly severe, and international consensus confirms the need for eco-friendly consumption. Worldwide, the eco-friendly food market is booming, so understanding consumers’ motivations to purchase these foods is crucial. This paper aimed to construct a model explaining consumers’ intentions to purchase eco-friendly food by combining stimuli-organism-response (SOR) and signalling theories and exploring the mechanisms by which macro- and micro-signals impact perceptions of value and consumers’ subsequent willingness to purchase eco-friendly food.

An online questionnaire was distributed through the Qualtrics platform, and the completed questionnaires were collected in March and April 2023. The study used partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) to analyse the 331 valid responses received.

The results indicated that trustworthy eco-labels for high-quality and health-promoting products, as conveyed in macro signals, significantly enhanced consumers’ perceptions of functional value. The peer effect and a moderate level of food anthropomorphism conveyed in micro-signals substantially improved their perceptions of social value, whilst the perceived value of products significantly and positively influenced their purchase intentions.

This study explains consumers’ motivations to purchase eco-friendly products. This provides an explanation for the effect of macro- and micro-signals on value perceptions. By integrating the different dimensions of these signals to create a unified research perspective, the paper provides an integrated model, thereby filling a research gap concerning the influence of two-dimensional signals on purchase intention. By supporting eco-friendly food use, the paper contributes to environmental protection and sustainable development.

The social acceptance of wind energy is increasingly conditioning the Italian Government and regions to authorize the construction of these plants. The proposal of offshore wind farm in the south-west of Sardinia has raised many perplexities both from the marine environmental point of view and from concern about increasing the electricity production in a region that already exports electricity to the peninsula. The purpose of this study is to evaluate what are the factors that most affect the coastal residents’ acceptability of an offshore wind farm.

The data is based on a Sardinia-wide in-person survey with about 512 participants in the period between May and June 2023. Respondents were selected randomly from five different locations in Carloforte region. Multiple regression analysis investigates the factors that influenced acceptability to construction and development of offshore wind power plant. Four independent variables were selected in the regression models such as (i) interest towards wind energy, (ii) attitude towards renewable energy production, (iii) perceived regional energy policy and (iv) attitude towards offshore wind farm. The dependent variables are the rates of coastal local residents’ acceptance of offshore wind farm for respondents in five coastal towns.

Fishermen and summer tourism operators’ respondents expressed significant reluctance to accept the new project because they perceive a strong risk of environmental impact on both tuna fishing and marine recreational activities in the vicinity. The distance between the turbines at sea and local residents along the coast and surrounding small islands does not have an influence to accept wind energy. The energy policy of the Region of Sardinia, which is perceived by respondents as an expansive energy policy in the production of electricity that exceeds their needs, not being accompanied by a scenario of reducing that from fossil fuels, is the variable that led about 70% of respondents to express a negative opinion towards this project.

A potential problem associated with the survey is that local response produced sample selection bias. The proportion of respondents with secondary education and no school certificate is quite high. It is possible that respondents who provided valid questionnaires were more low-educated and therefore, the sample may be biased towards lower-educated people. While this does not invalidate the results of this study, it is important to note that the sample was on average less educated than the overall population in Italy. In addition, people with lower incomes were more likely to complete the questionnaires; the results are more representative of a portion of the population with incomes below the national average.

Results showed how coastal communities are in favour of wind energy within their island, but not within a marine protected area that is considered unique for its beauty and marine ecosystem. Wind energy developers should, before submitting a proposal for an offshore wind farm project, consider among other things the long approval time and understand the activities carried out by local communities and their attachment to those places. Politicians and developers should develop a coherent energy transition policy based on a long-term vision of zero emissions, because according to the findings of this study, it was the regional energy policy that is the most controversial reason for residents to reject the project.

The contribution of this study is to fill a part of the research gap linking to ongoing energy transitions. In particular, this study analysed for the first time in Italy the acceptability level of an offshore renewable energy project considering the environmental implications and risks in the fragile marine ecosystem of Carloforte waters. This study also made it possible to analyse the impact of the regional energy policy on the acceptability of residents towards the development of offshore wind farms, which is scarcely discussed in the literature.