This study explores the Europe 2020 strategy and the role of European political entrepreneurship in debating, shaping and implementing this strategy within the EU. The book sets out to explore the content, conditions and consequences of Europe 2020 by analysing the plan for a future prosperous EU economy. The main focus is on European political entrepreneurship and how the strategy has been debated and decided on, and then implemented from a governance perspective with multiple European actors.

Inclusive Green Growth: The Pathway to Sustainable Development makes the case that greening growth is necessary, efficient, and affordable. Yet spurring growth without ensuring equity will thwart efforts to reduce poverty and improve access to health, education, and infrastructure services.

The book aims to provide a basis for design and construction of resource-efficient buildings. The main concepts follow the vision of a European Sustainable Building as defined in the 2-years Smart-ECO research project funded by European Commission under the Sixth Framework Program. The focus is concentrated on innovations enabling the building sector to meet the requirements originating from the sustainability concept. Innovation is considered at different scales: micro (product, service and process), meso (sector, supply chain, region and system) and macro (economy-wide). Furthermore, the book focuses on aspects of relevance when striving to implement innovative technologies in building design: an integrated design process is indispensable to obtain a Smart-ECO building, independently of how effective a single technology is. Each chapter provides information on fundamental aspects of innovations towards resource-efficient buildings, shows examples and makes further guidance by way of a dedicated bibliography. Case studies are predominantly recent projects or experiences improving understanding and encouraging implementation.

Singapore’s post pandemic recovery is nearly complete; underpinned by its strong economic fundamentals and the authorities’ decisive policies. While overall output surpassed pre-COVID levels in 2021, the growth momentum has slowed and activities in consumer-facing (except retail) and construction sectors remain below pre-pandemic levels. Inflation remains elevated but has started moderating. Risks to the outlook are tilted to the downside, arising mainly from an abrupt global slowdown or a recession in Singapore’s largest trading partners, tighter global financial conditions, and a deepening of geoeconomic fragmentation.

A sustainable European workforce has become increasingly relevant in our present day and age. Flexibility and job insecurity are omnipresent; organizational workforces are displaying growing diversity with respect to age, gender, ethnicity and family status; and Europe’s welfare states are delegating more and more responsibility for the well-being of workers to employers. Now more so than ever, organizations need to consider investing in workers to improve their performance and level of satisfaction. These investments can take many forms, including flexible work arrangements, training plans, child-related policies and health programs. The crucial question is how to make this happen. Why do some organizations invest more and others less in their employees? Why do some employees make use of these investments and while others do not? Why do such investments sometimes improve employee performance and satisfaction and sometimes not? This book addresses precisely these questions. The book contributes a new, large-scale survey of 259 organizations, 869 work units, and 11,011 employees in six diverse economic sectors in the Bulgaria, Finland, Germany, Hungary, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and UK to study the causes and consequences of organizational investments. This book appeals to undergraduate and postgraduate students, researchers and lecturers in the fields of Sociology, Business and Management, and Organizational Studies. It will also be useful for practitioners of Human Resource Management and others interested in workforce sustainability.

Throughout the history of European integration, economic wealth has increased to the benefit of citizens in the European Union (EU). However, inequalities in well-being persist within and between Europe’s regions, undermining the legitimacy of the EU in the eyes of citizens. This book investigates how the EU can use its regional funding programmes in ways that increase citizen well-being. The book shows that while EU social investments improve labour market performance in rich regions, they exacerbate income inequality in poor regions. Based on this insight, the book presents a theory on the conditions under which EU funding will enhance well-being. Crucially, it argues the case for enhancing the inclusivity of EU growth, which yields the promise of a more legitimate and stronger union.