E-Government Development in European Countries: Socio-Economic and Environmental Aspects

Magdalena Zioło, Piotr Niedzielski, Ewa Kuzionko-Ochrymiuk, Jacek Marcinkiewicz, Katarzyna Łobacz, Krzysztof Dyl and Renata Szanter ()
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Magdalena Zioło: Institute of Economic and Finance, University of Szczecin, 71-101 Szczecin, Poland
Piotr Niedzielski: Institute of Management, University of Szczecin, 71-007 Szczecin, Poland
Ewa Kuzionko-Ochrymiuk: Institute of Management, University of Bialystok, 15-062 Bialystok, Poland
Jacek Marcinkiewicz: Institute of Economics and Finance, University of Bialystok, 15-062 Bialystok, Poland
Katarzyna Łobacz: Institute of Management, University of Szczecin, 71-007 Szczecin, Poland
Krzysztof Dyl: Institute of Security and Management, Department of Management, Pomeranian Academy in Slupsk, 76-200 Slupsk, Poland
Renata Szanter: Institute of Security and Management, Department of Management, Pomeranian Academy in Slupsk, 76-200 Slupsk, Poland

Energies, 2022, vol. 15, issue 23, 1-17

Abstract: The purpose of the paper is to analyse the relationship between digitalisation of public services (e-government) and ESG factors (environmental, social and economic factors). As public administration is a major stakeholder influencing sustainable development and state governments are aiming to digitise their services, there is a need to better understand the effect of the digital revolution on ESG. This article aims to study the relationship between the E-Government Development Index (EGDI) and ESG factors in 26 European countries. The linear ordering method TOPSIS (Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution) was used for the study, followed by the Perkal index and the method of optimal predictors’ selection—the Hellwig method. The study is based on the Eurostat data (in the period 2003–2020), and the analysis includes ten variables: Share of environmental taxes in GDP; Exposure to dust air pollution; Greenhouse gas emissions by source sector—carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, etc. (energy, industry, agriculture, forestry, waste management) (thousands of tonnes); Passenger transport volume in relation to GDP; At risk of poverty or social exclusion; Percentage of people satisfied with their financial situation among people aged 16+; Share of the ICT sector in GDP; Unemployment rate of people aged 20–64; Research and development expenditure in all sectors; GDP per capita. The in-depth analysis offers a matrix that represents the relationships between environmental taxes and the development of e-government. The main finding reveals statistically significant relationships between the EGDI and aggregate variables representing the environmental, social and economic spheres. It indicates a genuine, positive impact of digitalised administrative processes on sustainable development. It also seems to confirm that investments in digital infrastructure and government e-services bring multiple long-term benefits and contribute directly to all three domains relevant to the sustainability of modern development. The results of the analysis can be found useful by governments and governmental institutions as informing digitalisation strategies aimed at balancing the development of e-services and their support infrastructure. Nowadays, when planning strategic actions, one should take into account the social, economic and environmental impact of the digitalisation processes.

Keywords: e-government; sustainability; digitalisation; EGDI (E-Government Development Index); environmental factors; social factors; economic factors (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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