Research background:E-commerce is a key driver of global economic growth, influenced by technological, economic, and social factors. While prior research has focused on economic andtechnological determinants, the macroeconomic role of social capital—defined by trust, norms, and networks—remains underexplored. Social capital reduces transaction uncertainty, strengthens consumer trust, and facilitates business expansion, yet its cross-national impact on e-commerce adoption requires further investigation. Purpose of the article: This study examines how social capital influences e-commerce development in European countries, exploring whether higher levels of social capital contribute to greater e-commerce adoption and transaction intensity while accounting for economic factors such as GDP per capita and disposable income. Methods: The study analyses panel data from 28 European countries (2015–2023) using the Social Capital Index (SCI) to measure national trust and networks. E-commerce activity is assessed based on online purchase participation and business turnover from digital sales. Panel data models with fixed and random effects are applied to examine the relationship between social capital and e-commerce adoption. Findings & value added: The results confirm that social capital significantly influences e-commerce adoption. Countries with stronger trust networks and social cohesion see higher participation in digital commerce. Economic conditions, including GDP per capita and disposable income, moderate this effect, with wealthier nations benefiting more from trustdriven e-commerce expansion. The study underscores the importance of fostering social capital to enhance consumer confidence, lower transaction costs, and promote sustainable digital market growth, offering policy recommendations to strengthen trust mechanisms and support e-commerce ecosystems.

The e-commerce sector has experienced significant growth in the past two decades, outpacing other economic sectors and contributing to sustainable consumption, increased labour productivity, competitiveness, consumer incomes, and GDP growth. This trend is expected to continue, making e-commerce a key driver of sustainable economic growth in Europe. This study aims to explore the relationship between a nation’s innovation level and its population’s inclination towards online shopping in various EU member states. It hypothesizes that higher innovation levels within a country lead to a greater tendency for online purchases. This study conducts a thorough analysis of the interplay between European economies’ innovation levels and the e-commerce market’s evolution. A composite innovation index was created using the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) methodology, and panel data models were utilized to examine the dependencies, with data from Eurostat and the Global Innovation Index. The focus is on the period from 2019 to 2021, which was marked by unique market dynamics and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings confirm the significant role of innovation in driving e-commerce expansion within the context of sustainable consumption, supporting the main hypothesis. This research also highlights the pandemic’s positive effect on the e-commerce sector. The pandemic-induced changes in consumer behaviour, particularly due to social isolation and crises in certain economic sectors, have emphasized the importance of online shopping. Notably, the most active online shoppers are identified in the 25 to 54 age group, revealing a key demographic trend.

The nexus between economic development and mineral rent across Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS) is empirically tested by using multiple threshold panel analysis. This paper focuses on the association and correlation among Mineral Rents (% of GDP) and Gross Domestic Product per capita along with Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), Trade, and Renewable Energy Consumption per Capita, by using the data sets for the period 1994–2021. Dynamic Liner Model and Double Threshold models are used for empirical testing of the above variables. The Dynamic Liner Model identified the positive influence of trade and FDI on mineral rent; and the Double Threshold models identified the negative influence of GDP, trade, and FDI on mineral rent. The findings contribute to the literature about mineral rent and economic growth. Moreover, the findings of this paper help in planning policies and interventions for inclusive and sustainable economic development, GDP enhancement, promotion of trade, and FDI in Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS) by considering mineral rent management. This paper also recommends considering the mineral rent taxation, mineral royalty, mine-community conflicts, corruption, institutional development, politics, and environmental issues before policy implementation and reforms related to economic development, GDP enhancement, promotion of trade, and FDI in BRICS.

Research background:Tourism is one of the fastest-growing sectors of the economy, thus the implementation of sustainable solutions in tourism ought to be a worldwide adopted requirement. Tourists should seek to pursue sustainable development goals during their travels. Given the aging population, it is important to encourage seniors to practice sustainable tourism and tailor offerings to their needs. Purpose of the article: Our study aims to identify the readiness of seniors within the European Union to travel in line with the sustainable development goals. Methods: Representative data from Flash Eurobarometer 499 were used in the study presented in the article. Correspondence analysis, which is a multidimensional statistical method that facilitates the search for relationships between multiple characteristics of respondents, was used in the course of our study. Findings & value added: We conclude that the offer of future tourist solutions must be diverse, because the perception of tourism is very different among seniors with varying ages, genders, levels of education, and places of residence. Only small groups of seniors are not ready to adopt sustainable tourism, but many European tourists intend to continue using sustainable solutions and introduce new ones into their tourism. The greatest determination to apply sustainable solutions was observed among German seniors, especially in the use of green transportation.