Nazatul Faizah Haron

Mountain tourism systems are among the most climate-exposed on Earth, yet they remain among the least equipped for operationalizable risk governance. Steep terrain, seasonal snowpack, and constrain...

Purpose: Despite notable progress in promoting financial inclusion (FI) to drive economic growth (EG), Africa still lags behind other regions due to structural challenges, including inadequate infrastructure, regulatory barriers and low financial literacy, amongst others. More importantly, rising insecurity (INS) in the form of conflicts, terrorism, kidnapping, communal violence, etc., poses significant threats to the effectiveness of FI in fostering EG via disruption of financial systems, displacement of people, destruction of infrastructure and erosion of investor confidence. This study explores the influence of INS on the FI-EG nexus, particularly in Africa. Design/methodology/approach: To assess the role of INS on the FI-EG nexus, this research employs the system-Generalized Method of Moments to analyse panel data for 39 African economies, further grouped into Lower Middle Income and Lower Income countries, during the 2004–2023 period. In addition, the study adopts the Principal Component Analysis (i.e. PCA) to construct the FI index. Findings: The results portray that FI impacts EG positively (0.088/0.066), while rising INS erodes the growth-benefits of FI (−0.150/−0.184) in Africa in the full sample. This empirical evidence is consistent across different income groups. Moreover, agricultural output expansion promotes EG, but excess money supply impacts EG adversely. Research limitations/implications: The study unravels the significance of ensuring greater security to reap the growth-benefits of FI in Africa. Originality/value: The research is the first to explore the role of INS (proxied by military expenditure) on the FI-EG nexus in Africa.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is central to the Fourth Industrial Revolution, with promising implications for various aspects of human activities. However, its potential to promote environmental sustainability through carbon emission reductions remains largely unexplored and debated. This study provides updated insights using panel data spanning 2012–2021 for 29 developed and 18 emerging economies. Empirical estimates derived from the Bayesian linear regression technique, implemented via Markov Chain Monte Carlo experiments, highlight the significant carbon emission-reducing effects of AI in both developed and emerging economies. Nevertheless, it is important to note that these effects remain tenuous in both contexts. The limited impact of AI is attributed to insufficient budgetary allocations toward carbon emission-reducing AI tools. Therefore, increased investments in these technologies are crucial to optimize their carbon mitigation potential, thereby fostering greater climate change resilience in these nations. Notably, the study reveals that AI has contributed more substantially to carbon emission reductions in developed economies compared to emerging ones. This disparity is linked to the relatively low financial commitments of emerging economies toward the deployment of carbon emission-reducing AI technologies. Additionally, the interaction of AI with resource utilization, human capital, eco-productivity, and income levels has demonstrated notable carbon emission-reducing effects. Although it is observed that these effects are more pronounced in developed countries. The study concludes by outlining specific policy recommendations to enhance the effectiveness of AI in mitigating carbon emissions across varying economic contexts. Remarkably, the inferences herein could apply to other economies.

Energy labels are crucial for promoting energy efficiency and sustainability in modern consumer markets. The labels provide transparent information about the energy efficiency of appliances, buildings, and vehicles, to name a few. Furthermore, they promote numerous benefits to the people and environment by reducing energy costs. Notably, the energy label emerged during the post-1970s oil crisis to address global energy insecurity and conservation measures. It now encompasses diverse products, standardises metrics, and facilitates consumer comparability in purchasing decisions. Despite their potential, a significant issue lies in the inconsistent global adoption and enforcement of energy labelling standards, which creates barriers to widespread consumer understanding and market impact. In addition, limited research addresses the long-term effectiveness of energy labels in driving actual consumer behaviour change. Thus, this study employs a narrative review methodology to explore the historical development, evolution, impacts, and challenges of energy labels as a catalyst for sustainability, focusing on their significance and limitations. The study reveals that implementing energy labels is a significant step towards promoting energy efficiency and sustainability, potentially reducing energy costs. However, challenges such as a lack of consumer awareness about the benefits of energy labels hinder their effective implementation. In summary, energy labels are crucial in promoting sustainable energy by empowering consumers, incentivising innovation, and promoting environmental stewardship. This includes reducing greenhouse gas emissions and promoting informed decisions for climate change mitigation, thereby contributing to a greener, more resilient planet.

Purpose: World heritage sites (WHSs) contribute significantly to preserving local identity and the exponential growth of the local economy through tourism. Therefore, it is important to protect landmarks or areas declared as one of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) WHSs so that the structure can be preserved and the legacies of the monuments and cultures can be uplifted and sustained. Therefore, it is crucial to consider the idea of charging a premium for some tourism-related goods and services in order to make them more sustainable.Design/methodology/approach: This study utilizes the Choice Experiment (CE) method to evaluate the preferences and willingness to pay (WTP) of visitors at the WHS in Melaka, Malaysia. Through a structured survey and choice modeling approach, we assess visitors' preferences for various site attributes and potential management strategies, enabling us to estimate their WTP for heritage preservation.Findings: This paper focuses on assessing the monetary worth visitors associate with preserving a UNESCO WHS in Melaka, Malaysia. The study utilizes a CE methodology to estimate visitors' preferences and their WTP for heritage site preservation. The findings contribute to understanding the economic viability and sustainability of establishing a preservation fund for the site. Overall, this research provides valuable information for decision-makers involved in the preservation and management of cultural heritage sites.Research limitations/implications: External Validity: The research focuses specifically on the UNESCO WHS in Melaka, Malaysia. The findings may not be directly applicable to other heritage sites or locations with different cultural, socioeconomic or environmental characteristics. Thus, the generalizability of the study’s results to other contexts might be limited.Practical implications: Conservation Fund Design: The research provides valuable insights into visitors' WTP for a preservation fund. These findings can inform policymakers, site managers and relevant stakeholders in designing and implementing effective conservation funding mechanisms for the UNESCO WHS in Melaka. Understanding visitors' preferences and their willingness to contribute financially can help ensure the sustainable preservation of the site. Revenue Generation: By quantifying visitors' WTP, the study offers practical implications for generating revenue for the preservation fund. Policymakers and site managers can leverage this information to establish appropriate pricing strategies, such as entrance fees or voluntary donations, that align with visitors' valuation and support long-term financial sustainability for site conservation.Social implications: Enhanced Conservation Efforts: Understanding visitors' WTP can contribute to increased public engagement and awareness regarding the importance of preserving the UNESCO WHS in Melaka. The findings can be used to foster a sense of ownership and responsibility among visitors, encouraging them to actively participate in conservation efforts and advocate for the site’s protection. Stakeholder Collaboration: The research highlights the need for collaboration between various stakeholders, including government agencies, local communities, NGOs and visitors, to ensure the successful preservation of the heritage site. The study’s insights can facilitate dialogue and cooperation among these groups, promoting shared responsibility and effective decision-making processes for the sustainable management of the site.Originality/value: The paper brings valuable insights and originality to the field of tourism and heritage preservation. It adds to the discourse on sustainable tourism practices and financial mechanisms to support cultural heritage preservation, offering practical insights for effective site management.

Using energy labels helps households save on electricity bills and positively impact the environment by guiding informed purchasing decisions and promoting energy-efficient products. This study employs a hypothetical Choice Experiment (CE) to examine how energy efficiency labels influence Malaysian consumer preferences for refrigerators. Using multinomial logit (MNL) and mixed logit (ML) models, it analyses key attributes considered by households: Energy star ratings, energy consumption, energy savings (non-monetary attributes), and price (the monetary attribute). Findings reveal that consumers are willing to pay more for refrigerators with high energy-saving attributes, underscoring the significance of energy-efficient choices in reducing monthly energy costs and supporting long-term sustainability. The study highlights the critical role of energy efficiency labels in shaping consumer preferences towards environmentally friendly appliances, contributing to sustainable development. It demonstrates that energy labels are pivotal in promoting energy-efficient products and practices in Malaysia, strongly supporting Goal 7 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), which emphasises the importance of clean energy, energy efficiency, and sustainable energy access. These findings affirm the value of energy efficiency labels in encouraging sustainable consumer behaviour and fostering an environmentally sustainable and socially inclusive energy landscape.

In today's rapidly evolving digital landscape, the readiness of communities to embrace and adapt to digitalization is of paramount importance. Despite the growing significance of digitalization, there is a noticeable dearth of comprehensive evaluations encompassing the diverse facets of community readiness. Variations in digital access, technological literacy, and policy frameworks across communities create disparities that require in-depth examination and strategic interventions. This systematic review seeks to comprehensively analyze the extent of community readiness towards digitalization, recognizing its crucial part in forming our society's socioeconomic fabric. Moreover, this review addresses this knowledge gap by thoroughly assessing community readiness towards digitalization, offering valuable insights for academia, policymakers, and community stakeholders. This systematic review adheres to the PRISMA technique, ensuring a rigorous and transparent approach to data synthesis. A comprehensive search was conducted across reputable databases, including SCOPUS and Web of Science (WoS), employing advanced search strategies to identify pertinent studies on community readiness towards digitalization. A comprehensive examination (n=28) of pertinent studies reveals three prominent themes in community readiness toward digitalization. These themes encompass the domains of (1) Digital Transformation (DX) in business and economy, (2) digital health and healthcare initiatives, and (3) digitalization in education and learning. The synthesis of these themes underscores the evolving landscape of digitalization and calls for targeted interventions to bolster digital readiness across these critical sectors.