This study investigates the impact of climate anxiety on young adults’ consumer and social behaviour. Data were collected via a questionnaire survey among 696 university students from Széchenyi István University, Budapest Metropolitan University, and Neumann János University. The survey focused on various aspects of climate anxiety, including its frequency, intensity, perceived life impact, emotional responses, and management strategies. The analysis, supported by AI tools, identified two distinct clusters: one with moderate anxiety levels and a strong interest in learning about climate change, and another with higher anxiety levels but less desire for further information. Various statistical models, including Naive Bayes, logistic regression, and random forests, were employed to identify behavioural patterns, with decision trees showing the lowest classification error. The study highlights the significant influence of climate anxiety on the shift towards sustainable consumption and active engagement in climate action. Recommendations for future research include the broader application of deep learning models and extending the study to other demographic groups. Longitudinal data collection is also suggested to track long-term trends and inform effective public policy and communication strategies. The findings emphasise the need for comprehensive approaches to understanding and addressing climate anxiety’s societal impacts.

The impact of climate change is increasingly evident in various domains today and is gaining prominence in scientific inquiries. Climate change also affects the utilisation of renewable energies. The article examines the effects of 21st-century climate change on the annual electric energy production of medium-sized photovoltaic module systems. The study bases its analysis on three possible scenarios: a pessimistic (RCP 8.5), a less pessimistic (RCP 4.5), and an optimistic (RCP 2.6) scenario. The applied Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP) scenarios were developed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to enhance comparability in analyses related to climate change. Compared to older linear models, an innovation utilises a more flexible and multidirectional model. One of the article’s key findings is that, for all three examined settlements, the annual yield of the studied photovoltaic systems will surpass the levels of the base year 2010 by the middle and end of the century. Another significant outcome is that, under the three scenarios analysed, the ratio of annual performance variation to annual global radiation variation shows substantial differences by the middle and end of the century compared to the 2010 baseline. In the optimistic scenario, this ratio exceeds 1, whereas in the pessimistic and less pessimistic scenarios, it falls below 1. This ratio does not directly inform about the annual production—which increases in all cases—but rather about the changes in efficiency. These efficiency changes are influenced by the rise in annual average temperatures and the fluctuation in sunny hours yearly. The third finding reveals that under the climate change pessimistic scenario (RCP 8.5), the efficiency decrease is less adverse than in the less pessimistic scenario (RCP 4.5).

Electricity constitutes a significant part of the consumption basket of European households and companies. Since energy products are essential components of almost all products and services, any change in energy prices directly impacts the general price level of those products and services. Therefore, this study aims to conduct a comprehensive analysis of power exchange data between 2019 and 2022. For the analysis, we examined the data of 15 countries. In the research, we compared electricity prices in European power exchanges using the Jaccard similarity index and the overlap coefficient, using the DAM hourly prices between 1 January 2019 and 31 December 2022. We transformed the time series into networks using the visibility graph procedure and compared the networks of the studied countries using the two comparison methods with the degree distribution functions. Our aim is to examine how the market anomalies caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian–Ukrainian conflict affect European electricity markets and how quickly the repercussions spread across the studied countries’ exchanges, and whether they show persistent or anti-persistent characteristics. The results support that similar market effects significantly influence the pattern of price changes among the countries. The methods forming the basis of the research can provide significant assistance in analyzing market trends and contribute to a better understanding of market processes.

The proposed research aims to analyse the effects of the relationship between Sustainability Governance (SG) and Climate Impact (CI), taking into consideration Green Finance (GF). Furthermore, it examines how Institutional Support (IS) enhances the governance systems governing these variables. The research provides a holistic approach for analysing the effects of financial dynamics on climate impacts. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) was employed in this research study. The data were collected from various industries using a standardised questionnaire. The structural model examined the direct and indirect relationships between variables such as GF, SG, and CI. IS emerged as the moderated variable. The outcomes of the study confirmed that “GF has an important and direct as well as indirect (through SG as the mediator) impact on CI. IS significantly increases SG and thus exerts an overall enhancing effect on the impact of GF on the climate.” The study has supported the research objectives and aims. The limitations of this study comprised constraints related to both time and cost. The researchers encountered limitations in accessing senior managers and directors of various organisations for the study. IS emerged as an important intermediate factor that can significantly link various actions and activities that impact the climate. This study supports both global and local research objectives. The study offers significant insights, underscoring the critical role of SG within Green Business (GB). Additionally, IS emerges as a vital enabling tool that strengthens the overall governance framework. The study contributes significantly to the development of integrated frameworks for institutions seeking to effectively address environmental challenges. The implications for action indicate that furthering entrenched institutional structures and instilling good governance practices can add tremendous value to the transformation potential of GF and usher in accelerated efforts to achieve national and international objectives on climate change.

A growing number of young people now perceive climate change as an existential threat rather than a distant environmental issue. This study investigates the relationship between environmental awareness and symptoms of climate anxiety among two generational groups – Generation Z (aged 28–29) and Generation Alpha (aged 14–15) – residing in Budapest, and fills an empirical gap in the Hungarian context regarding how urban youth segments process ecological distress. Data were collected via an anonymous online questionnaire, distributed between January 12 and March 31, 2025, through targeted social media groups. Screening questions limited participation to the target age groups. The survey covered environmental awareness, sustainable behaviors, and psychological and physical symptoms, resulting in 701 valid responses. Four hypotheses were tested using non-parametric statistical analyses, primarily Spearman’s rank correlation and Mann–Whitney U tests. All statistical analyses were conducted with SPSS software version 27, and selected calculations were cross-validated using the WolframAlpha analytics tool. The findings indicate that climate-related distress is a multidimensional phenomenon shaped by environmental attitudes, sex, and generational context. Among young adult males in Generation Z, higher levels of environmental engagement and knowledge were associated with a reduced sense of helplessness, suggesting that taking action can serve as a psychological protective factor. Sex-based comparisons revealed that female participants reported significantly higher levels of clinical symptoms, particularly anxiety, irritability, and nervousness. In contrast, male participants were more likely to report physical manifestations such as muscle pain. Generation Z females exhibited higher levels of apathy, whereas Generation Alpha females reported more acute nervousness. The study also highlights the critical link between mental health and environmental action, contributing to the broader framework of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These results underscore the importance of age- and sex-sensitive approaches when addressing the psychological impact of the climate crisis. The research emphasizes that promoting mental health (SDG 3) is viewed as an essential catalyst for effective climate action (SDG 13).

Public acceptance is a key prerequisite for renewable energy deployment, yet evidence from post-socialist, energy import-dependent countries remains limited, and acceptance is often treated as a single construct. This study examines Hungary and distinguishes between (i) general societal support for renewable energy and (ii) individual-level commitment to adoption. Using an online survey conducted in October–November 2024 (N = 417), we test for an acceptance gap and assess attitudinal drivers with paired-sample t-tests, OLS regression, and cluster-based comparisons. Results show a significant acceptance gap: general societal support exceeds individual-level commitment (mean difference = 0.17 on a three-point scale; Cohen’s d = 0.36; p < 0.001). In bivariate terms, perceived economic benefits exhibit only a weak association with acceptance, but in multivariate models they emerge as a strong predictor of individual-level commitment (β = 0.600; R² = 0.407), whereas environmental attitudes and energy security perceptions show weaker and non-significant independent effects. Cluster analysis further indicates heterogeneous attitudinal profiles and varying levels of acceptance, suggesting that economic evaluations operate as an enabling dimension within broader attitudinal configurations rather than a standalone driver. These findings highlight why broad societal endorsement may not translate into personal engagement and imply that policy strategies should complement general pro-renewable narratives with measures that address perceived feasibility and individual-level costs and uncertainties.