Consumer decision-making is becoming increasingly complex in the context of digital transformation, particularly within sustainable
consumption. The digital marketing and media ecosystem not only ensures the availability of information, but also shapes perceptions,
trust and social norms. This study develops and empirically tests an integrated model of sustainable consumer decision-making in a digital environment. The study applies a quantitative approach based on a survey of 384 respondents, and uses structural equation modelling to assess direct and indirect relationships between the digital environment, information, trust and sustainable decisionmaking. The findings show that the digital environment significantly shapes information perception, while information quality and credibility are key drivers of trust. The results enhance our understanding of sustainable consumption as a structured and socially influenced process, and explain the attitude behaviour gap. The study highlights trust as a key element, and provides recommendations for improving digital communication and governance to support sustainable development.
This study examines whether corporate social responsibility (CSR) contributes to sustainable competitive advantage in Latvian small and
medium-size enterprises (SMEs), and whether perceived implementation barriers reduce that effect. The study draws on a cross-sectional
survey sample of 729 SMEs operating in 14 industries. The analysis uses hierarchical ordinary least squares moderation models with meancentred variables and HC3 heteroskedasticity-robust standard errors, controlling for firm size, firm age, and industry. Five item-level moderation models were estimated to assess specific barriers. The results indicate a positive association between CSR engagement and sustainable competitive advantage. However, the expected weakening effect of implementation barriers is not supported. The overall interaction was not significant, and the barrier-specific effects lacked robustness. The findings suggest that perceived implementation barriers should be understood as contextual challenges and boundary conditions, rather than as fixed constraints on CSR-related competitive advantage. Future research should test these relationships with longitudinal, broader regional and multi-respondent designs.
This study develops and tests an applied framework for improving last-mile logistics sustainability in retail and service systems.
A structured literature review of peer-reviewed studies (2019–2026; n = 35) is combined with directed content analysis and semiquantitative coding. Six implementation practice groups are evaluated across eight indicators: emissions, resource efficiency, circularity,
cost, responsiveness, integration, transparency, and retail/service applicability. Based on the evidence matrix, a phased scenario
model is designed for an urban retail-service network handling 10,000 weekly deliveries. The results indicate that IoT-enabled real-time
visibility, blockchain-based traceability, and route optimisation with warehouse-transport synchronisation generate the strongest multicriteria effect. In the modelled transition from baseline to full implementation (S0–S3), weekly CO2 emissions decrease by 36.9%, unit fulfilment cost decreases by 18.7%, and on-time delivery increases by 9.1%.
The integration of environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles in the maritime sector has become an essential component in enhancing sustainable development and operational transparency. This article explores the growing importance of ESG frameworks in the maritime industry, focusing on the practical applications and comparative assessment of ESG performance among four major European ports: the Port of Rotterdam, the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, the Port of Klaipėda, and A. P. Moller-Maersk. The paper investigates ESG maturity through a set of defined indicators, such as emissions, renewable energy use, green investment, social performance and governance transparency, offering a critical evaluation of their implementation across different port management
models. The findings highlight significant variability in ESG integration, with Rotterdam and Maersk leading in environmental and governance indicators, while Antwerp-Bruges and Klaipėda are still developing their ESG reporting practices. The study underscores the importance of standardised ESG frameworks, transparent reporting, and digital innovation for advancing sustainability in the maritime sector.
Economic entities influence the environment significantly. Economic activity in the EU lacks skills, experience and financial and management
tools. Innovation is a key element of sustainable economic activity, but economic activity needs a complex approach to cover economic,
social and environmental aspects. The most common measure for environmental improvement is the reduction of energy and material
consumption. This article analyses the development of economic entities using the Innovation and Small Business Act (SBA) approach. The
research objective is to analyse how economic entities in EU countries develop their activities to achieve sustainability by reducing their
environmental impact. A comparison of the sustainability aspects of economic entities was carried out. The contribution of innovations was
analysed to assess the level of sustainability of economic entities in EU countries. The results show that the impact of the activities of economic entities needs to be assessed along the entire value chain, which assesses the social environment of economic entities. EU countries such as Finland, Germany, Slovenia and Sweden are leading the way in investing in innovation and sustainability measures. However, EU countries face challenges in implementing sustainability goals, because of the complexity of the system and a lack of attention from responsible institutions. Nevertheless, innovation is essential to reduce negative environmental impacts.
Economy operates in a broader social system, composed of households and enterprises but also by all institutions created by people. Law and politics is created and introduced in institutions in parallel to educational, administrative activities as well as any other social activities, including those related to the natural environment we live in. These institutions operate thanks to the social capital i.e. interconnected human resources. The quality of the social capital is dependent on mutual trust and relations in the society. For this reason, social capital is of key importance for sustainable development, both as a controller of the impact of the economy on the environment as well as the basis for the future development. The environment evolves continuously, there are rapidly changing economic processes and, in consequence, their impact on the environment is changing rapidly, tool. This brings some specific challenges to the resource and quality of human knowledge and the competence level of the human capital, as the only tool for a possible reduction of all imperfections.