Editorial: Sustainable development, economic dynamics, and forecasting trends: global exploration and insights Open Access

The issue delves into the richness of the dimensions of sustainable development, economic dynamics and trend forecasting in six articles with different global perspectives. These research works are significant contributions to the growing body of literature on sustainability, investment behavior and economic development and are of significant use to theory and practice in a variety of sectors, particularly industry. The articles deal with significant issues of sustainability accounting, financing limits in emerging markets, energy efficiency, remittance inflows, investment and socio-economic governance. Of particular interest, authors from various nations, including the United States of America, Germany, Bangladesh, the United Arab Emirates, Cameroon and Nigeria, demonstrate the international scope of the discussion and present valuable evidence to researchers, policymakers and practitioners.

Sisaye and Birnberg's study (2025) of the USA offers a historical overview of the evolution of sustainability accounting in the USA, highlighting efforts by federal agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The authors refer to the role played by industrial ecology frameworks and ecological anthropology in evolving the context of sustainability reporting. The study enlightens us on how such paradigms have influenced sustainability frameworks such as the triple bottom line (TBL) and how they have been implemented in the public and private sectors. This account literature contribution fills the gap by bringing ecological frameworks together, with tangible implications for companies that are adopting voluntary sustainability reporting standards.

On the other hand, Doruk's systematic literature review in (2025) provides a comprehensive discussion on investment cash flow sensitivity and financing constraints from emerging economies. In bringing together available studies, the paper brings into perspective the special issues of financing investments for emerging economies. The paper also analyzes the influence of capital market distortions and macroeconomic conditions of these economies on investment. This review is capturing useful information regarding financing constraints that hinder economic development and brings forward policy recommendations to policymakers in the emerging economies. The findings are particularly applicable to industries that aim to offset financial challenges in the emerging economies.

The article titled “Nexus between environmental sustainability, energy intensity and food security: evidence from emerging economies,” written by Hasan and Adnan (2025), investigates the relationship between food security, CO² emissions and energy intensity in emerging economies. The authors present strong evidence that improved food security is likely to be accompanied by higher CO² emissions and energy intensity. Based on the application of sound statistical methods, the paper provides new evidence in the environmental discourse in developing countries, with significant implications for energy policy and food security programs. The results suggest the need for energy balancing with green farming methods, an activity that is most suitable for companies undertaking food production and energy value chains in the rising economies.

From the United Arab Emirates, Khan and Gunwant (2025) used the auto-regressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model to forecast remittance inflow into Yemen in order to know the role the remittances would play in reviving the economy of the nation. Due to constant wars, Yemen has relied mostly on remittances as a primary foreign source of income. Remittance inflows, as indicated in the study, will keep on growing and being significant support in terms of economic recovery. This paper is of specific interest to policymakers and financial institutions interested in maximizing planning and comprehension of the economic sustainability and resilience role of remittances, particularly in conflict-affected countries.

The fifth paper of this issue discusses the role of external debt in domestic investment and economic development in 35 Sub-Saharan African countries. According to the findings, domestic investment promotes economic growth while foreign debt decelerates it, notably on income, education and health. The article provides useful lessons to Sub-Saharan African economies and nations and urges policymakers to strive to encourage domestic investments and eschew overburdening foreign debts in an attempt to erase long-term economic growth. The conclusion is of specific relevance to companies operating in emerging economies whose expansion relies on social and infrastructural investment (Dinga et al., 2025).

The last paper in this edition, by Okunlola et al. (2025), is entitled “Socio-economic Governance and Economic Growth in Nigeria.” In this research, the role of socio-economic governance, particularly research, education and health, towards the economic development of Nigeria was examined. Empirical findings locate research and educational expenditure as central supports of long-term economic growth but might be adversely affected by overinvestment in health. The research contributes fresh evidence for literature analyzing the governance-economic development relationship and has significant policy implications for Nigerian business firms. It highlights the need to have a balanced approach towards socio-economic policies so that investment in human capital is accompanied by sustainable development objectives.

The research study in this article is an international analysis of pertinent issues on sustainable development, economic growth and trend forecasting. From the USA’s sustainability accounting to Nigeria’s socio-economic governance, the book offers on the table the diverse opportunities and challenges of countries at different stages of development. Collectively, these contributions are good reading both on the theoretical front and practical implications, which can be utilized by industries, policymakers and researchers for fostering sustainable growth. As the world continues to fight environmental, social and economic issues, evidence presented in this issue presents a brighter direction for industries and economies working towards 21st-century sustainability and development.