Ostrom’s polycentric model for the governance of social systems has been gaining popularity as an alternative approach to the low-carbon energy transition in recent years. This article considers its potential application to three issues in Bulgaria’s green energy transition: finding substitutes for coal-based electricity production in the Maritsa-East lignite complex, providing new employment opportunities for workers affected by the transition, and understanding the broader social impacts of moving away from the traditional hierarchic model in the energy sector. It is important to note that while polycentric organizing is intended to support low-carbon solutions, it could also serve the interests of coal energy actors, who may prioritize short-term gains over the long-term public interest. Overcoming inertia is a major challenge for adopting the polycentric principle as part of Bulgaria’s industrial policy, particularly in implementing decentralized low-carbon energy solutions.

As cornerstones of worldwide sustainable development, the circular economy and the circular carbon economy are profoundly interrelated. However, opinions differ on how to optimize the circular economy towards reducing carbon dioxide emissions. This article aims to investigate the different levels of readiness for the circular carbon economy within G20 member countries in the domain of economic efficiency. In that regard, a selection of circular carbon economy sub-indicators has been analysed. Through the use of secondary data, tendencies towards change in this variability were found. The degree of adoption of a circular carbon economy differs among the G20 economies. In terms of the various factors considered in the G20 member countries, the current analysis has determined that there continue to be substantial differences between the best performers and their enabling factors.

The development of information and communication technology (ICT) has significantly transformed the socio-economic structure of society, particularly in terms of income distribution. This study aims to analyse the impact of ICT development on income inequality across 34 provinces in Indonesia from 2012 to 2020, employing econometric methods based on panel data through a fixed effects model. Empirical findings reveal that ICT readiness and ICT skills tend to exacerbate income inequality, while ICT use and its quadratic form contribute to reducing it. These results suggest that although ICT infrastructure and skills are crucial, their uneven distribution and utilisation can widen income disparities. Consequently, this study highlights the importance of ensuring equitable access to ICT across Indonesia to mitigate economic inequality. The study's recommendations stress the pivotal role of the government in expanding ICT infrastructure, fostering a research and innovation climate conducive to digital transformation, and formulating policies that enhance ICT skills nationwide. These measures would improve digital literacy, upgrade workforce capabilities, and promote inclusive digital economic growth. Ultimately, comprehensive and equitable ICT development can play a critical role in reducing income inequality across Indonesia.

Agriculture is Bulgaria's oldest and most traditional industry. It has gone through many processes that have shaped and help explain its current state. In the recent past, the return of land to its owners has had a strong impact on farms and their development. In Bulgaria, risk management in agricultural production structures is a relatively new issue with great potential for development. The aim of the study is to assess the realities, problems and opportunities in risk management within the production structures of Bulgarian agriculture. A PESTEL analysis was carried out, and the results confirm the hypothesis that agriculture is a high-risk sector with elements that are dynamic.

The digital transformation is profoundly changing organizations and creating new comparative advantages but also necessitating new approaches to management and organizational strategy. The majority of research on business’ digital transformation focuses on technological adoption, innovation, value creation and the dynamic capabilities of organizations. However, the question of why different organizations approach the digital transformation in various ways remains less explored. This article examines the possibilities of inferring various factors that have an impact on the adoption of digital technologies in order to improve the understanding of organizations' digital transformation strategies.

Factors such as size, internationalization, research and development (R&D) expenses, foreign direct investment (FDI), turnover, wages and salaries have an expected impact on the adoption of new technologies in an organization and its digital transformation. This is supported by organizational theories such as the resource-based view (RBV), the knowledge-based view (KBV) and the technology-organization-environment (TOE) frameworks. Through examples from the scientific literature, a summary is provided on how the study of the interrelationships between these factors and organizations’ digital transformation can contribute to a better understanding of the different strategies in this field.

Farmers face the challenges of climate change and rising production costs, forcing them to apply the most efficient farming practices in order to achieve sustainable agriculture. More and more farmers are rethinking traditional tillage methods and introducing changes to implement more agroecological practices. Intensive farming brings with it negative consequences such as reduced soil fertility, loss of organic carbon, reduced biodiversity, and the excessive use of natural resources, which threatens sustainable agriculture. It is therefore important to place equal emphasis on both increasing crop productivity and focusing on, implementing, and using agri-environmental practices. Choosing the appropriate practice, such as working towards a no-till system or a more balanced strip-till approach, will lead to a positive impact on agriculture and the environment. The goal of this paper is to investigate the impact of agroecological practices, in particular strip-tillage, on environmental protection. The research methodology covers a literature review on the concept of strip-tillage technology, an analysis of the effects of the adoption of this technology in agriculture, and an assessment of the future prospects of strip-tillage for environmental protection.

Recently, the Publishing Complex - UNWE made available the interesting study of Dr. Ralitsa Veleva "Proactive Public Policies for Poverty Reduction". This monograph deserves attention mainly due to the still existing deficit in Bulgaria of complex analyses on the development and implementation of proactive public policies for poverty reduction.

The work of the young author breaks the tradition in the Bulgarian social space to discuss extensively and in priority "welfare", and its antipode "poverty" - only as incidental touches and by the way. And it is brazenly "present on the table" of a significant part of the population, which lives this ingrained scarcity as its own social drama. What is clearly needed is, first, a professional identification of the level and trends of poverty in the country, and second, the development and implementation of credible radical instruments for its definite mitigation and containment