This article is devoted to an analytical review of the situation in the energy sector of Ukraine, taking into account constructive changes in the connection of the Ukrainian energy system to ENTSO-E and the destructive situation caused by industrial infrastructure failures and economic renewal. It focuses on Ukraine in the context of the principles of decentralization in the direction of significantly increasing the net cost of microgeneration, decarbonization and the transition to “green” energy. The national resource potential of energy-efficient and energy-saving technologies is systematized and the applied recommendations are provided to support state and local trends in energy sector development, namely energy storage projects, distributed generation and microgeneration based on Net Energy Metering to support small projects that solve energy problems. Included are institutional proposals for the establishment of the Agency for Decarbonization in Ukraine for the “green” transition, with broad powers of communication and the ability to make decisions on reducing carbon emissions in all areas. The possibility and expediency of using the concept of innovation is considered both from the global point of view of Ukrainian industry (with the potential prospect of using Ukraine’s industrial and logistics infrastructure as a mega-industrial park for the EU) and in the local sense of national energy, including improvements to the EU’s energy balance. It has been proven that the use of the nearshoring mechanism in Ukrainian industry in general, and in the energy sector in particular, can improve Europe’s energy balance, which has deteriorated over the past five years. Thus, the negative trend of the EU energy balance in thousands of tons of oil equivalent and in percentage terms was demonstrated. To improve the situation, the forecast of energy prices for individual EU countries was calculated taking into account Ukraine’s integration into the European energy system. The analysis and calculations revealed a potentially possible level of price reductions in some EU countries up to 20%. Recommendations are for improving energy-management efficiency at the regional level in particular, ensuring transparency in the development of renewable energy sources, using significant national potential of biofuels and increasing natural gas production, developing a business model of gas distribution center in Western Ukraine, which will be part of national gas distribution system and the European energy market.

Today green energy agenda is in the lead position in the media space and scientific community. The countries have put forward ambitious strategies for green energy development: cut CO2 emissions, introduce new financial instruments. Australia is no exception. The country is trying to start a massive green energy transformation, but its effect on the economy of Australia is dubious, especially taking the losses of profit from coal exports into account. The article aims at answering the main question: is massive green transformation necessary for Australia and the ones, which follow it, namely, how can green energy transformation be conducted in the country, what sources of renewable energy are preferable in the country and how does the green energy transition influence the Australian economy? The key findings include: the proof of the non-necessity of massive green energy transformation in Australia, the proof that solar and wind power are the most effective renewable energy resources in the country and the proof that Australia should slow down the green energy transformation if it wants to preserve its economic prosperity.

Primary energy consumption depends on the size of the economy and its structure, including both industrial and service sectors, characterized by different energy demands. Some of the basic energy and economic indicators that can be used to analyze primary energy consumption include energy intensity, energy productivity and indicators measuring the activity of the economy (gross domestic product or gross value added). In the years 1995–2021, the Polish economy developed at a relatively constant pace, and the value of gross domestic product increased in real terms by almost 290% over the entire analyzed period. However, despite this increase, total primary energy consumption remained at the relatively constant level of around 3,800–4,600 PJ/year. This was caused by, among other factors, an increase in energy productivity on the one hand and a reduction in energy intensity on the other. It should be emphasized that a descriptive analysis of changes in primary energy consumption in Poland in the analyzed period, including changes in selected energy and economic indicators, does not allow the identification and quantification of the impact of all key factors on the total change of the examined value over time. In this context, the main aim of the research presented in this paper is to propose a decomposition model of primary energy consumption in Poland and adapt it to conduct analyses covering the period of economic and energy transition to quantitatively determine the impact of the identified factors on the total change in primary energy consumption in the 1995–2021 period. To perform the described research, decomposition analysis was applied, including a multiplicative and additive approach. A decomposition model was developed based on the formulated decomposition identity. Mathematical formulas of two methods were used to perform the calculations: a generalized Fisher index and the logarithmic mean Divisia index (LMDI). The obtained results indicate that the effects of demand and energy intensity factors had the most significant impact on the primary energy consumption change.

The aim of the article is to reconstruct, analyze and compare two of Lem’s visions which concern the application of the future development of science and technology in order to construct an enhanced society. In other words, two literary concretizations of his idea concerning the technology of ethics. These are betrization— presented in the novel Return from the Stars and the ethicsphere—presented in the novel Observation on the Spot. In the “Introduction,” I discuss the specifics of Lem’s philosophizing, both in terms of its form and content, and I identify its main subject as concerning the problem of the influence of technological development on man, society and sphere of values. Then in the section “Life in an unfriendly world” I discuss the context which provides the background for the presentation of two Lem’s visions of technology of ethics, namely, the Doctrine of the Three Worlds, an integral part of the novel Observation on the Spot, but its meaning also explains Lem’s motivation to take up the idea of betrization. In the section “Life in a society devoid of aggression and risk,” I discuss a hypothetical society subjected to betrization— a procedure that eliminates aggressive tendencies. In the section “Living in a completely safe environment,” I discuss a hypothetical society living in an ethicsphere, that is, an “intelligent” environment programmed to care for the safety of its members; I also present a brief comparison of betrization and the ethicsphere. I conclude the paper by indicating where Lem’s considerations figure within the typology of utopia proposed by Bernard Suits.

This article addresses the issue of the role of regions, big cities and urban areas in the socio-economic and spatial development trends in the EU as well Poland shaped through – and in connection with the process of globalization and functioning of the Common Market. The analysis of the situation and trends is prepared on the basis of the recent reports and data presented by the EC and OECD and – in case of Poland – Ministry of Investment and Economic Development as well Main Statistical Offi ce. Against this background with the reference to other research work published recently and his own experience the Author formulates a number of proposals for modification of territorially sensitive socio-economic policy in Poland (at national, regional as well urban level).

This article deals with the problem of the right to social security in the state of residence in the light of Regulation No 883/2004 on the coordination of social security systems. The judgment of the Court of Justice of 8 May 2019 in case C-631/17 SF v Inspecteur van de Belastingdienst served as an inspiration for the above-mentioned topic. In its judgement the Court has made a binding interpretation of Article 11(3)(e) of the said Regulation in the context of the situation of a national of a member state employed as a seaman on board a vessel flying the flag of a third state by an employer established in a member state other than the worker’s state of residence. The aim of the article is to justify the right to social security in the state of residence based on Article 11(3)(e) of the Regulation 883/2004. The analysis shows that it is necessary to introduce appropriate changes to the Polish legislation on the social security system. Simultaneously, as far as seafarers are concerned, it is desirable to consider the specificities of the work at sea, including the introduction of maritime social security as a specific type of social security, similar to French law for instance. The changes should be introduced gradually to avoid the risk of decline in the employment of Polish seafarers by EU shipowners.