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The electrical power sector plays an important role in the economic growth and development of every country around the world. Total global demand for electric energy is growing both in developed and developing economies. The commitment to the decarbonization of economies, which would mean replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy sources (RES) as well as the electrification of transport and heating as a means to tackle global warming and dangerous climate change, would lead to a surge in electricity consumption worldwide. Hence, it appears reasonable that the electric power sector should embed the principles of sustainable development into its functioning and operation. In addition, events such as the recent European gas crisis that have emerged as a result of the massive deployment of renewables need to be studied and prevented. This review aims at assessing the role of the renewable energy in the sustainable development of the electrical power sector, focusing on the energy providers and consumers represented both by businesses and households that are gradually becoming prosumers on the market of electric energy. Furthermore, it also focuses on the impact of renewables on the utility side and their benefits for the grid. In addition, it identifies the major factors of the sustainable development of the electrical power sector.

The article considers the problems arising in the implementation of energy-saving technologies in the housing and communal services sector of Kazakhstan, including the example of specific situations. Despite the global trend of energy saving and increasing the energy efficiency of production and service provision, there is almost no introduction of energy-saving technologies by utility companies in Kazakhstan. After reviewing the experience of the previous 10 years and the unsuccessful attempts of Western manufacturers to enter this market, we identified the reasons for this situation, namely, the need to identify the exact institutional need for implementation with reference to the Kazakhstan regulatory framework, the need to consider the financial effect of the projects, not according to the prices of the producing countries (which are usually Western countries, where utility bills are much higher) but the Kazakhstan energy prices and/or tariffs for the necessary resources, as well as the necessity to calculate the economic and/or social effectiveness of the project. The authors present the results of the analysis of public utilities of Kazakhstan as DMUs (decision-making units). Data envelopment analysis (DEA) was chosen as the method of analysis, which allows for a nonparametric evaluation of economic agents by several input and output parameters. The authors also propose aspects of technical policy aimed at the development of energy conservation in Kazakhstan.

Changes in modern technologies have led to a decrease in the role of oil and threaten the well-being of oil-exporting countries. The oil and gas industry is the leading one in the economy of Kazakhstan, and the future of the country depends on its development. The purpose of the presented research is to determine the long-term image of the future oil and gas industry and develop a strategy for the government and national companies in different spheres for actions in conditions of increasing uncertainty. The article presents the materials of an expert survey using the Delphi method (211 industry experts) and a group discussion during a foresight session (75 participants), in which the authors provided methodological support and practical participation. The top nine development trends have been identified, the majority of experts (about 90%) see the future of the industry as the development of unmanned production based on digital management and an increase in environmental requirements (85%). The author’s methodology is based on a pragmatic approach to conducting an industry technological foresight in the medium term. The visionary image of the development of the oil and gas industry is built on the basis of the possibilities of technological breakthroughs. The refined image was formed as a response to the challenges of the external environment on the principle of the “Most Advanced, Yet Acceptable”. The main characteristic of the future of the oil and gas industry in Kazakhstan is a deserted production, where the production process is fully automated and robotic. Risks of oil and gas industry development are critical for the entire economy of Kazakhstan, so plans based on industry foresight projections to prevent them are a national priority.

This article examines the costs for families raising disabled children, who, in world social policy, belong to socially vulnerable groups of the population. The purpose of this article is to assess the impact of energy consumption on the ability of a family to provide rehabilitation for a disabled child in the present and the possibility of his independent life in the future. A sociological survey was administered to respondents in five regions of Kazakhstan, with subsequent processing of the results obtained by statistical methods. The survey was based on a methodological approach in accordance with the identification of four types of restrictions: direct childcare costs; indirect family costs, i.e., losses (household energy consumption aspect); assessment of the opportunity to work; and assessment of the parents’ ability to stay healthy. The PLS–PM model-based structural modeling was carried out. In the model, four types of constraints as dependent variables were accepted. In the course of the model application, three hypotheses regarding energy costs were confirmed. The significance of energy costs in the system of restrictions for families with disabled children was determined. In conclusion, the qualitative characteristics of the relationships allowed identification of the problems in the current support system for families with disabled children in Kazakhstan, which is focused on the partial compensation of direct costs. Energy consumption was determined to be sufficiently important. This results in the misuse of benefits for the rehabilitation of a child because parents, especially from incomplete and low-income families, are forced to choose between paying utility bills and rehabilitating a child. Energy costs also limit the family’s ability to meet the direct costs of the child and long-term savings related to the child’s future. We propose the subsidization of energy utilities for families with disabled children, partially replacing targeted social assistance with vouchers for the purchase of household electrical appliances and rehabilitation equipment with energy-saving characteristics. In further studies, issues regarding the use of tax deductions and tax credits as an alternative support measure, which is currently not used in Kazakhstan, will be investigated.

In the 21st century the importance of global value chains continues to grow. There is a scientific gap in the research on the relationship between countries’ energy indicators and the GVC participation indices. Based on the analysis of the APEC member economies’ GVC participation, the presence of quantifiable links between the countries’ energy indicators and GVC participation indices was identified. APEC member countries have a higher index of forward GVC participation compared to a rather low index of backward participation. We have confirmed the following hypotheses. Countries with higher energy consumption and countries exporting fuel have higher forward GVC participation. Energy importing countries and countries with higher energy intensity have higher backward GVC participation. Countries with higher energy intensity have lower forward GVC participation than countries with lower energy intensity. It was concluded that concerted efforts of APEC member economies are needed to increase GVC sustainability and develop unified energy policy standards. Managerial implications of energy efficient and sustainable GVCs will include competitive advantages growth for all the countries and suppliers participating in a particular GVC.

The article describes the psychogram method as a tool for human resource management. The article describes the psychogram method as a tool for human resource management, the use of which is provided by the availability of platform technologies in the modern digital economy. The presence in the market space of firms that provide platform services for complex psychological diagnosis enables the manager to adequately assess the required behavioral competencies of the applicant, using as a standard the system of basic parameters corresponding to this position. The system of basic parameters is formed on the basis of the method of blitz-psychogram after passing by professional employees of this firm professional tests based on platform technologies. This allows the company to identify the character traits, motivation, preferred activities and role in the team with efficient employees with minimal own expenses. Applicants who meet the parameters of a psychographic portrait will be internally motivated for this type of activity. This will further reduce the risk of staff turnover, increase the effectiveness of training and the effectiveness of other actions of human resources management by activating the employee's internal motivation in this type of activity.

The wholesale electricity and capacity market constitute the backbone of the Russian power industry. It is in this market that large suppliers and buyers operate, and its entire turnover is consequently transmitted to the retail market. Our paper presents a theoretical overview of the main tools for forming the cost of electricity and capacity in the wholesale market in Russia (depending on the regional affiliation), the type of end users, and the degree of state participation. We consider the specifics of the formation of the cost of electricity and capacity in the price and non-price wholesale markets of Russia, which differ in territorial, climatic, and economic characteristics, as well as the established structure of generation. In the empirical part of the paper, we carry out a structural analysis of the volumes of trade in electricity and capacity in the price and non-price zones of the market. Furthermore, we explain the reasons for the current dynamics of prices in the wholesale market. Using the obtained results, we calculate the maximum annual effect of the solar power plant operation in various zones of the Russian wholesale market, as well as in the retail market. In addition, we estimate the economic incentive for the transition of the functioning of power facilities from the wholesale to the retail market. Our results can be of considerable practical importance and might be used for improving the strategy for the development of the electric power industry at the regional level both in Russia and in the other countries.

The problems of efficient use of energy costs have been actively explored in recent decades in connection with rising energy prices. During this period, the main models for assessing energy efficiency and energy management were developed, including the models Total Quality Management, Six Sigma and Sustainable Value Stream Mapping. The aim of the research was to study the energy efficiency of the production and services in Kazakhstan based on materials of the large-scale national study on the estimation of production and transaction costs by these methodologies. To assess the data obtained, a statistical analysis of the dependence on the indicators of variation and ranking was used. Electricity costs are among the leading manufacturing costs and affect management models. However, according to the maturity model of energy management, energy efficiency in Kazakhstan is low. Despite the government’s declarations of effective energy policies, the administrative burden for businesses remains high, and legislation does not stimulate a reduction in energy costs.

The motivation for this study was a new context associated with the increased cyclical nature of the economy and, accordingly, the increased financial risks of the business, which complicated the implementation of corporate social responsibility. The purpose of the article is to explore the relationship of corporate social responsibility with the financial risks of the business and explain this relationship in terms of sustainable development (SDGs). The article contributes to the development of the concept of financial risks of the business by clarifying their connection with corporate social responsibility and substantiating the relationship between the financial risks of the business. Structural equation modeling (SEM) showed that in 2020–2021, financial risks have demonstrated a complex (in most cases negative) relationship with each other and a contradictory impact on corporate social responsibility. The complex systemic relationship between corporate social responsibility and financial risks of business from the point of view of sustainable development is substantiated. In the context of increased financial risks, by systematically implementing SDGs 8, 9, 11, and 12, responsible companies get the opportunity to restore and improve their position in the market. The significance of the findings for businesses is that they proposed the SDGs as a promising new benchmark for business financial risk management. This will allow responsible companies to find a new Pareto optimum in the current conditions of uncertainty and determine for themselves the preferred level of corporate social responsibility that contributes to the effective financial risks of business management in the long term.

This publication presents the research results of the features of cross-cultural interaction in international management. International economic relations may evolve through major joint projects based on the teamwork. The problem of management in this case is to ensure mutual trust and consensus between teams from different countries. As part of the research, the features of the development of organizations from Russia, India and China were studied. The internal specificity of the types of organizational development and leadership models within the company create prerequisites for the differentiation of communications between partners. Taking into account the revealed differences is recommended in joint planning, organizing of control over the projects execution, and creating of international working groups.