China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) developed a system of interaction with the member countries to uplift economic and environmental integration. Through BRI, these countries are now developing in the field of financial management, energy and environment. This raised the importance to test nexus between energy, finance and environment-related constructs to present the empirical significance with policy suggestions. Therefore, considering the SDG number 7 for sustainable and reliable energy system, recent investigation attempted to determine that how green financing raise energy efficiency, and, to what extent economic and environmental integration act as a catalyst to enhance sustainability and reliability in energy systems of BRI member countries. For empirical analysis, study used the data from 2005–2018. The results have shown a significant variation in energy financing patterns, renewable energy sources consumption and carbon emission trends in BRI member nations. Moreover, the Probit regression analysis confirmed this variation between energy efficiency, financing patterns and carbon emission. Moreover, Human Development Index (HDI) and public financing in energy sector have shown a limited role in developing energy efficiency, which presented the room for private investment through green financing for energy efficiency maximization and this proved as significant in study context. This study also presented policy guidelines for key stakeholders.

The main objective of this paper is to investigate the SMEs’ leader perspective about the basic factors influencing the transformation into digitalization by SMEs they lead, using technological, organizational, and environmental (TOE) Model. The data were collected from 61 SMEs leaders in Oman, to achieve the study objective TOE model has been adopted. Internal consistency and data normality, and factor analysis were implemented. Structural equation modeling (SEM) used to test the proposed hypotheses. The outcomes of SEM indicate that TOE factors are significantly affects the ability of SMEs to digitalize their business process. The study findings come in the context of Omani definition of SMEs. More, no control was made for industry type to which SMEs participants are belong. Leaders of SMEs should frame strategies to simplify the digital transformation of their enterprises and attempt to provide organizational and technological facilities that will smooth their digitalization which will improve SMEs capabilities, as well as, increasing the international competitiveness of the SMEs. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this study is one of the first that investigated the digital transformation among SMEs from the leaders’ perspective in Oman.

Financial mediators carry out the function of directing saving into domestic investment. They simplify effectual distribution of capital resources, which on the other side increase productivity and improve economic effectiveness which leads to decrease capital output ratio. The insurance sector performs exceptionally useful function in economy as financial intermediaries. This paper examined the role of insurance sector in Oman economy using real gross domestic product (GDP) as representative for Oman economy performance (economic growth). The central objective of the paper is to scan the role of insurance sector on economic growth in Oman, using secondary data (time series) for the period 2008-2017, a total of 10 observations, were used. Data is collected from the various sources, security market in Muscat (MSM) annual reports and the annual reports of the central bank of Oman. The method used includes the implementation of multiple regression analysis to explain the role of the insurance companies on the Omani GDP. The results so far showed that there is a positive relationship between insurance sector and economic growth in Oman for the considered period. So the main recommendation is that, Oman should give more attention to the financial sector development with more concentration on insurance sector development to grantee economic growth.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide estimates of damage cost for several areas of the environment. In particular: to estimate the cost of degradation as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP) at the national level; to enhance local capacity in environmental economics, in particular in the valuation of environmental degradation; and to provide an input to inter‐sectoral environmental priority setting.Design/methodology/approachTo achieve the above objectives a framework was developed to estimate the cost of environmental degradation in seven countries in the region, for six categories. Estimates reflect order of magnitude and therefore represent an indication of actual damage costs. A range of estimates was provided to reflect the uncertainty of the results. Damage costs are presented in annual values (in local currencies, in US$ dollars) and as a per cent of GDP. Expressing costs as a share of GDP provides a sense of magnitude and will allow cross‐country comparison.FindingsThe damage cost of environmental degradation in Middle East and North Africa (MENA) in 2000 is estimated at US$ 9 billion per year, or 2.1‐7.4 per cent of GDP, with a mean estimate of 5.7 per cent of GDP. In addition, the damage cost to the global environment is estimated at 0.5‐1.6 of GDP, with a mean estimate of 0.9 per cent of GDP.Research limitations/implicationsOwing to data constraints, no cost estimates are provided for some impact such as: degradation associated with industrial, hazardous and hospital waste, biodiversity loss, and impact of inadequately treated wastewater, thus calculations often represent lower bound estimates.Originality/valueThis paper is a contribution in a process towards the use of environmental damage cost assessments for priority setting and as an instrument for integrating environmental consideration into economic and social development.

This paper examines the link between availability of energy and improvement of living condition and poverty reduction in sub-Saharan Africa. It argued that modern sources of energy are required for the improvement of living standards; may be by helping to create jobs and by boosting productivity. For energy exporters, particularly oil producers, they provide revenues that may bring about sustainable poverty reduction. And the supply of energy improve living conditions by providing better lighting of homes, cleaner fuels for cooking and heating. The study found that, essential aspects of human welfare (leading long and productive life, enjoy good health, have access to knowledge and education opportunities, have the potential to earn sufficient income to supply themselves with ample nutrition, shelter and other material and aesthetic needs) may improve only if modern energy becomes available for all; yet there are nearly 2 billion people still without electricity in developing countries. The study also found that, energy can have major favorable effects in remote rural areas and renewable energy technologies offer a key prospect in areas where the grid cannot reach. Reliance of the poor on their natural surroundings indicates that any step towards poverty alleviation should incorporate environmental and economic sustainability as a priority for sustainable livelihoods. This paper is a contribution in a process towards the use of energy to be one of the instruments to reduce poverty in developing countries especially in Africa.