The aim of the article is to show the dependence of what is our/mine and Other/Alien in thinking about conflicts around investment projects. Investments related to the development of space and resources of the Earth, especially if they cause any (real or potential) changes, generate negative emotions which often become the embers of conflict.

Paradoxically, participation in such conflict may benefit the parties involved. Positive outcomes include: meeting needs (attention and significance), fulfilling (new) social roles, learning about other points of view, finding themselves in new social groups or embedded in local communities. Living in the social theater of life, each person plays different roles, which can lead to tension and a sense of ambivalence. In this situation, the individual has a sense of identity dispersion, being able to be simultaneously in several groups opposing each other. The conflict surrounding the Orzesze mining project can serve as an example here. This and other examples show that what is mine and the Other/Alien, with all its separateness, is, however, more or less intertwined with each other. So, the phenomenon of mutual dependence between the Other/Alien and conflict can provide an interesting perspective when looking at conflicts in managing the space and resources of the Earth. Conflicts, in particular mining-related ones, are an extremely complex phenomenon with great potential – both negative and positive. The appreciation of the benefits mentioned in the article, which result from the mutual dependence of the parties involved in the conflict along with their readiness to go outside their comfort zones, provide an opportunity for mutual understanding and reaching agreement which could lead to a positive change consistent with the idea of sustainable development.

In this complex situation, the incorporation of not only sociological but also psychological aspects becomes an important element of the states’ and companies’ resources policy and cannot be neglected any more.

The subject of this article concerns the growing issue of implementing the concept of social responsibility in the activities of integrated energy entities. This work includes the performance of a budgetary analysis of the national leading company, in terms of expenses associated with corporate social responsibility (CSR). The article presents the analysis of source literature, as well as identifies stakeholder activities. The introduction includes an explanation of the concept of CSR, its global approach along with the justification for the need to implement the concept of CSR in the strategy of industry entities. The following were used, among others, to perform the research: elements of financial and non-financial reporting, i.e. reports of a vertically integrated energy company – Capital Group Polska Grupa Energetyczna SA, over the years 2013–2017. The data obtained from distributed sources were used. The company’s activities in social and environmental directions were identified, and the stakeholder groups of these initiatives were determined. The main purpose of this article was to estimate the level of expenditure associated with CSR in the context of the company’s general budget. The article emphasizes the role of the PGE Foundation as a recognizable point of company activity in the scope of CSR (the participation of individual group companies in financing the foundation was presented). The analysis of CSR expenditure included: the amount of taxes paid, costs of employee benefits and assets of the social services fund, and environmental costs.

The presented article touches upon corporate social responsibility, a topic of a current and interdisciplinary nature. The aim of the article was to examine the CSR knowledge of two groups of stakeholders and indicate the need to include issues related to sustainable social and environmental responsibility in the technical study program. The research conducted within this domain have been the first results obtained among the academic communities of a technical university and employees in Poland who are the representatives of a selected business group, i.e. the mining sector. The obtained results are the effect of combining scientific research with the business environment. The main part of the article constitutes a description, course and results of the applied research method, which is a survey carried out amongst the selected target groups. The authors’ intention was to list the results obtained in two contexts: environmental and social. The conclusions of these studies are of a utilitarian nature, following towards the need to consider issues concerning sustainable social and environmental responsibility in the program of technical studies (as obligatory subjects). The authors argue that the increase in knowledge will be accompanied by an increase in awareness among (future) industry employees and among the public. This may mean an increase in expectations towards enterprises, which will result in raising standards both when it comes to aspects related to the natural environment, working conditions, and social dialogue.

Industry 4.0 and the associated idea of society 4.0 pose specific challenges for the concept of sustainable development. These challenges relate, inter alia, to responsibility, in which the changes to date have overall entailed:

• a transition from ex post responsibility to ex ante responsibility (H. Jonas);

• a transition from individual responsibility to corporate social responsibility.

In the context of society 4.0 there is a need for shared responsibility. The problem of justice and therefore the implementation of sustainable development not only becomes an open problem, but also requires constant updating and specifi c optimisation.

The concept of Corporate Social Responsibility is now much better recognized and more widely discussed in Poland than before. The year 2018 was legislatively the first year in which, according to the directive of the European Union, large and medium- sized enterprises became obliged to report their CSR strategies or to explain the reasons of non-compliance. The article, referring to the existing literature on the subject and ongoing discussion, looks for the possibility of such cultural involvement of enterprises which would be an integral part of their social responsibility.

The article discusses the issues of values and social responsibility of universities. On the one hand, the foundations of functioning of universities, which are created by research and education and the role of universities in formation, are recalled. On the other hand, it was reminded that the heart of universities, their DNA, are academic values, defined primarily in the Magna Charta Universitatum, but also in many other documents, such as the Code of Values of the Jagiellonian University. Hence, universities are increasingly often referred to not only as universities of knowledge, but also as universities of wisdom. Together, they are the basis for the social responsibility of universities. However, they alone are not enough for this social responsibility to materialise. Appropriate behaviour and actions are essential. Because knowledge alone is not everything. Such actions are always necessary, but especially when we find ourselves, as a country, humanity and a planet, in a crisis situation related to the climate disaster, which we are already partially experiencing. After the presentation of the most important current facts related to the climate and environmental crisis, the tasks to be undertaken urgently in this context by universities were presented, from broadly understood education, through convincing politicians to ambitious and quick actions, to intensive work on innovative solutions that can contribute to reducing threats brought by the climate and environmental crisis, pointing out, among others, the initiatives proposed by the newly created network of universities U7.