| Abstract [eng] |
This doctoral dissertation addresses a fundamental economic and institutional challenge in the energy sector: managing negative external effects, such as greenhouse gas emissions and resource depletion, while promoting a sustainable energy transition through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). The study evaluates how CSR acts as a structured, strategic, and market-based regulatory mechanism to reduce environmental impact and improve corporate sustainability performance in the energy industry. The theoretical framework incorporates four core CSR dimensions: environmental sustainability, financial responsibility, stakeholder engagement, and organizational ethics. The empirical study employs a two-stage methodology: first, applying a Picture Fuzzy SWARA-TOPSIS multi-criteria evaluation model to identify and rank economic and institutional barriers across EU member states; second, using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) on empirical data from the Lithuanian energy sector to analyze firm-level relationships. The findings confirm that CSR practices significantly improve corporate green performance through the mediating effects of green innovation and employee engagement. The dissertation provides comprehensive insights for policymakers and corporate executives to integrate regulatory and strategic economic incentives to accelerate the low-carbon energy transition. |
