Aušra Pažėraitė

Given global efforts to promote sustainable energy transitions, this study investigates how the deployment of renewable energy technologies (RETs) relates to multidimensional societal welfare and provides empirical evidence on these linkages in Lithuania. The purpose of the study is to provide an integrated, Lithuania-specific assessment of how economic, social, and environmental determinants associated with RET deployment are related to multiple dimensions of societal welfare. Drawing on scientific literature, an integrated indicator framework is developed that links the economic, social, and environmental determinants of renewable energy technology (RET) deployment to six societal welfare dimensions, as defined by the Lithuanian Quality of Life Index. Using official Lithuanian statistics for 2020–2024, a standardized panel dataset is constructed and Pearson correlation analysis and multiple linear regression are applied using aggregated determinant categories, with model assumptions verified using the Breusch–Pagan and Durbin–Watson tests. Correlation results show very strong positive links between RET intensity indicators and key economic welfare measures (for example, wages, GDP per capita, foreign direct investment, disposable income), with absolute correlation coefficients typically between 0.90 and 0.99 (p < 0.05), and strong negative correlations between air-pollution indicators and GDP, income, FDI, and education (correlation coefficients between −0.96 and −0.90; p < 0.05). The results indicate that RET-related economic determinants have a statistically significant positive effect on the societal welfare dimensions of material living conditions; entrepreneurship/business competitiveness; and public infrastructure, living-environment quality/safety. Social factors also significantly support the societal welfare dimensions of entrepreneurship/business competitiveness and public infrastructure, living-environment quality/safety. In the retained regression models, explanatory power is very high (R² between 0.91 and 0.999), with positive and statistically significant coefficients for the economic determinant (regression coefficients between 0.43 and 0.96; p < 0.05) and negative, statistically significant coefficients for the environmental determinant in the entrepreneurship and public-infrastructure dimensions (regression coefficients between −1.13 and −1.51; p < 0.05). Environmental determinants are associated with lower air pollution but show negative effects on the societal welfare dimensions of entrepreneurship/business competitiveness and public infrastructure, living-environment quality/safety. Overall, the findings suggest that RET deployment is an important correlate of the economic aspects of societal welfare, while environmental and social dimensions display more complex, domain-specific impacts.

Advertising has the power to create shifts in human behavior. Storytelling is a powerful, primal skill that humans have used for thousands of years. Storytelling and advertising share the same goal of persuasion, but this action is becoming increasingly difficult to achieve due to constant changes in the dynamic human environment. Advertising experts need to develop new approaches to engage, motivate, and inspire the desired actions. The climate change crisis and the need to promote ideas for climate neutrality require urgent strategies for moving forward. Storytelling's power to persuade is undeniable, but more practical, ready-to-use models are needed to help various experts reach and convince society to act. A systematic literature review was conducted, following the PRISMA checklist and organizing information using a combination of TCM and ADO frameworks. There is a lack of specificity and clarity about how stories should be presented and created. This knowledge is crucial in the context of the climate change crisis, which needs urgent, united, and mission-oriented actions from society. Further research should focus on specific story elements and other important strategic aspects of storytelling. Unity between storytelling and advertising can become a bridge between scientists and society.

Accelerating the diffusion of renewable energy requires clear evidence on which determinants enable or hinder deployment across contexts. This study aims to identify the most frequently discussed contemporary determinants of renewable energy deployment. To this end, we conduct a PRISMA-guided systematic review within the SALSA framework, complemented by VOSviewer bibliometric mapping, synthesizing 110 peer-reviewed studies published between 2013 and 2025. We group the most frequently examined determinants into eight domains (economic, environmental, energy, political, regulatory, regional, technological, and social) and summarize the prevalent direction of effect reported in the literature. Economic conditions (e.g., economic growth, financial development, green finance, and trade) and policy/regulation (e.g., institutional quality, instrument stringency, and feed-in and net-billing schemes) emerge as pivotal. Environmental co-benefits (emissions reduction and air quality improvements) and energy system factors (security and energy poverty) are influential, with context-dependent roles for fossil fuel prices and consumption. Regional context (e.g., geopolitical risk) and technological progress (eco-innovation, storage, and grid integration) shape outcomes, while public acceptance, awareness, perceived benefits/costs, and demographics condition uptake. We also document contradictory findings (e.g., foreign direct investment and oil price effects) and gaps (especially social/demographic determinants and causal evaluation of specific policies). Overall, the review offers a coherent synthesis of evidence and an actionable framework of determinants to inform policy design and investment targeting for large-scale diffusion of renewable energy technologies.

The article examines the integration of the circular economy business model into the packaging industry and analyses the integration of circular economy principles into the model of a functioning EU packaging company. The main objective is to offer adaptable solutions for the integration of the principles of the circular economy into the EU packaging company and the business models of other companies in the sector. The first part of this article provides an analysis of the scientific literature on circular economy principles, the models used, the identification and review of the basic principles of the circular economy, and the assessment of the main driving and limiting factors. When analysing the models applied, the one most suitable for enterprises in the field of packaging production is selected, thus creating a solid theoretical basis for the further integration of the principles of the circular economy into the company’s operating model. The second part analyses the innovations that integrate the principles of the circular economy into the EU packaging company’s business model. The goal is to find out what is important for customers in this sector and what is valued by the company’s employees and management. The third part of the article describes the results of the empirical study.

The article analyses the evolution of the social dimension in energy security transition in Lithuania. It contributes to an emerging attempt in the literature to broaden the horizons of our understanding of societal transformation and energy transitions. The analysis reveals the interdependence of changing Lithuanian society and its developing energy security concerns throughout the Independence period, from the importance of material threats (ecological, economic, and political) to post-material values (such as climate change concerns) in the context of energy security. Accordingly, the energy sector undergoes a vivid transition from a totally dependent “Energy Island” to a diversified, interconnected, and self-sustainable system. Such a journey inevitably resulted in the highlight of the social dimension in energy security and provoked certain socio-economic implications, like changing public awareness and participation, social equity and justice, and socio-economic resilience and vulnerability. The research is based on case study principles (applying sociological discourse analysis through scientific articles’ qualitative content analysis method as well as energy security policy analysis reviewing all national strategies throughout the Independence period) and is focused on a unique Lithuanian context.

Remiantis humanitarinių ir socialinių mokslų įžvalgomis apie visuomenės modernėjimo ryšį su religijos įvairovės plėtra ir bendruomeniškumo kaita, knygoje analizuojamos visuomenės modernėjimas pasitelkus vėlyvojo sovietmečio Lietuvos alternatyviojo religingumo atvejį ir religinių tinklų plėtros bei tinklinės bendruomenės perspektyvą, galinčią atskleisti esminius religinio bendruomeniškumo kaitos aspektus. Monografijos užduotis – ištirti Lietuvos vėlyvojo sovietmečio alternatyviojo religingumo tinklus, bendruomeniškumo pobūdį ir bendruomenės konstravimo praktikas. Kelių vėlyvojo sovietmečio Lietuvoje veikusių religingumo grupių (šiuolaikinių pagonių, neošamanų, bahajų, krišnaitų, Rytų religijų sekėjų) atvejų tyrimų pagrindu siekiama išanalizuoti socialiuose ir humanitariniuose moksliniuose tyrimuose išryškėjančią bendruomenės sampratų ir religinių bendruomenių problematiką, šių bendruomenių formas visuomenės modernizacijos ir sociokultūrinės situacijos kontekste; atlikti Lietuvos vėlyvojo sovietmečio alternatyvaus religingumo socialinių tinklų analizės pagrindu nustatyti jų pobūdį ir charakteristikas, kultūrinę-geografinę aprėptį, svarbiausius veikėjus, grupes ir ryšius tarp jų; išanalizuoti alternatyviojo religingumo bendruomenes kaip tinklines bendruomenes ir atskleisti jų specifiką; išanalizuoti Lietuvos vėlyvojo sovietmečio alternatyviojo religingumo bendruomeniškumo praktikas; atskleisti sovietinės modernizacijos kontekste vykusios alternatyvaus religingumo bendruomeniškumo raidos ir tinklų plėtros specifiką, lyginant Vakarų visuomenėje vykusiais religinio gyvenimo raidos procesais.

Buying products made from recycled materials is an important way to support sustainability, especially in the FMCG (fast-moving consumer goods) context. Because these are the products that make up a very large part of consumer spending, it is very important to encourage consumers to buy them when they are made from recycled materials. Therefore, this research aimed to determine the relationship between income, egoistic and altruistic motives, attitude toward FMCG products from recycled material, and intention to buy them. To reach the research aim, questionnaire research was applied and structural equation modeling was carried out to analyze the research results. Based on the analysis of research results, income negatively influenced egoistic motives regarding buying recycled FMCG. Moreover, egoistic motives influenced attitude but did not directly or indirectly influence intention. Altruistic motives were not influenced by income but directly influenced attitude and intention to buy FMCG from recycled materials. When communicating about the benefits of recycled FMCG, altruistic motives should be highlighted, including rationalization of these aspects with specific calculations supporting these statements. Based on research results, such communication could facilitate the highest possibility of developing a sustainable FMCG market from recycled materials.

Understanding waste management processes and their role in positive environmental changes is significant at various levels. Among members of the public, awareness can be fostered by communicating the benefits of waste management and responding to the needs of individuals. The web is one of the communication channels that is easily accessible to many users and managed by waste management organisations. Therefore, this study aims to explore the combinations of content ideas, forms, and customer value dimensions in communication with society about the value of waste management through a website. Theoretical analysis showed that purposeful communication of customer value can be implemented by utilising different customer value dimensions using content marketing principles. Quantitative content analysis of waste management organisation websites was conducted and directed toward the current state of communication and its patterns. The results revealed that current content focuses on the repetitive communication of functional value through informative articles. Thus, a lack of more diverse content presenting the emotional and social values of waste management was identified. The waste management field can benefit by integrating various customer value dimensions and content marketing theory to identify new opportunities and ways to involve society and achieve the scale of impact needed. The authors would like to thank the European Commission and the REA for the support of the TWIN-PEAKS project. TWIN-PEAKS has received funding from the European Union`s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 951308.

This paper aims to understand the significance of energy sufficiency (ES) in passenger transport for the long-term resolution of energy, climate, and sustainable development issues in Lithuania. It computes related indicators, by fixing the passenger-kilometres (pkm) travelled by various modes of transportation and applying a scenario analysis with the MESSAGE model. The findings indicated that the country’s final energy consumption (FEC) in transportation could be reduced by 21.8% by 2050 due to slowing growth rate of distances travelled by passenger car but increasing use of public transport and bicycles. This would result in a decrease in the growth rate of primary energy consumption (PEC) by half (to 0.3% a year), an increase in the use of renewable energy sources (RES) to 67.2% in the PEC structure, savings of oil products by 6.4 TWh, and savings of new electricity generation capacity by 550 MW. Furthermore, 20 MtCO_2eq. in greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions could be realised between 2021 and 2050. To take advantage of the potential of ES, the policy measures of passenger car demand containment and a shift to non-motorised and less polluting modes of transportation should be implemented. Furthermore, priority should be given to policy measures that encourage use of public transportation.