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• The development of companies producing alternative protein end-products

  3-23

  János Szenderák

  Views:

  201

  Excessive consumption of animal-based protein has led to a significant negative impact on the environment and human health. Companies producing alternative protein end-products aim to produce substitute products that are similar to conventional animal-based products with less environmental impact. In this research, 955 alternative protein companies were analyzed using descriptive methods. The results revealed a significant increase in the number of companies after 2015, indicating high industry potential and an increasing global focus on sustainability. Plant-based products dominated the production structure because they were more appealing to consumers and may reach price parity sooner. Current food systems are unsustainable. Thus, although some factors still hinder the market uptake of alternative proteins, a shift towards a more sustainable food system is inevitable in the future.

• Sustainability performance evaluation systems in the fashion industry – A critical review from the perspective of micro and small enterprises

  28-44

  Klára Edőcsény

  Gábor Harangozó

  Views:

  6

  The fashion industry faces significant environmental and social challenges related to sustainability globally, while sustainability performance assessment frameworks are predominantly tailored to large companies. The aim of this study is to critically analyse these frameworks from the perspective of micro and small enterprises, which represent a significant part of the fashion industry, but still are excluded from the available performance assessment frameworks. The research is based on a qualitative analysis and examines five main international evaluation systems along the dimensions of relevance, impact potential, simplicity and data accessibility. The results show that these tools are overly complex, costly and often irrelevant to the functioning of micro and small enterprises. The conclusion of the study is that there is a need to develop a simpler, context-sensitive sustainability performance assessment framework, tailored to the needs of the target group and the fashion industry, which could help these enterprises to self-assess their sustainability performance and identify opportunities for improvement.

  JEL codes: D12, Q56, Q58.

• Fossil energy and economic growth in coal-based economies: empirical modeling and sustainability challenges

  126-145

  Botond Géza Kálmán

  Szilvia Módosné Szalai

  Helga Sárközy

  Views:

  66

  The study examines the relationship between fossil energy consumption and economic growth in carbon-based economies, with a particular focus on the role of energy intensity and energy efficiency. We aim to quantify the impact of fossil energy consumption on economic growth through model-based analysis and identify the development and sustainability challenges of energy-intensive economies. The study used a Random Forest model to analyze the relationship between fossil energy consumption and GDP growth. The data are from the World Bank’s World Development Indicators database for the period 2013–2023, considering the economic structure of different countries. Energy intensity showed a strong positive correlation with GDP growth in China, Russia and Mongolia, while in more developed economies such as Canada and the United States, a lower or negative relationship is observed. Fossil energy-intensive economies benefit in the short term, but diversification is needed in the long term for sustainability. Diversifying the economy and increasing energy efficiency are key to sustainable development. The results can help policymakers plan the energy transition, especially focusing on reducing fossil fuel dependence and integrating renewable energy sources for economic and environmental stability.

  JEL codes: O13, Q43, Q56, C53, O44