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While much of the world’s attention has focused on the human cost of COVID-19, the economic cost caused by the pandemic has also had and is having a strong impact on European economies, energy markets and the environment. This chapter first investigates the social effects of the pandemic, with particular emphasis on the ratio of deaths to cases in different countries, which may reflect the quality of health care, vaccine management and quality of life in regions of the world, especially in relation to the European continent. Secondly, this chapter examines the main effects that the pandemic has had over time on the European Union economy, especially on trade, transport, tourism, gross domestic product (GDP), unemployment, the inflation rate and the savings rate of Europeans. Thirdly, the chapter analyses the effects of the pandemic on the demand, production and prices of fossil and renewable energies in Europe, as well as the effect on the transition from fossil to renewable energies. Fourthly and finally, the chapter analyses the distortion generated by the pandemic on carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere and the momentary improvement of the environment. Against this backdrop, this chapter summarises the impact of COVID-19 on the European Union economy, energy, and environment.

Over the past few years, scholars have examined new ways of working from various perspectives, with a significant increase in studies during the pandemic period, when remote work – supported by digital technologies and platforms – became imperative for many companies to protect the health of both the local community and employees. It also served as a solution for businesses to maintain operations and continue delivering products and services to customers. In the post-pandemic period, the new working reality has evolved into a complex concept grounded in variables such as work flexibility, digitisation, innovation, sustainability, collaboration, social inclusion and the equitable treatment of all categories of employees. The purpose of this paper is to identify the elements that can impact employees’ satisfaction with the new normal in working arrangements, as well as to understand whether workers’ socio-demographic characteristics and the organisational context influence their level of satisfaction.

The methodological approach is based on cluster analysis with random sampling. Initially, a tool for assessing workers’ satisfaction with the new way of working was developed based on a literature review, identifying eight key areas of influencing factors. This tool was subsequently updated and refined through focus groups, expert evaluation and a pre-test. Based on participants’ responses, satisfaction scores were analysed using a Likert scale in relation to various variables. According to the scores obtained, a cluster analysis was conducted to identify different segments of workers within the sample.

The study’s findings reveal six distinct clusters of employees, each exhibiting different levels of satisfaction with new normal work arrangements. These clusters offer a detailed perspective on how various groups experience and perceive flexible work models, reflecting a spectrum of needs and preferences within the workforce. Key sources of dissatisfaction include inadequate digital tools and physical workspace options, as well as some difficulties in maintaining work–life balance. By addressing these specific issues through targeted interventions, organisations can significantly enhance overall satisfaction and engagement. These insights are particularly valuable for HR professionals seeking to optimise employee well-being and productivity in hybrid or remote work environments.

The research presents certain limitations, primarily due to its focus on a single country – Italy. This constraint may limit the generalisability of the findings to other national contexts. Future research could explore the impact of different contexts – such as national, regional and organisational factors – on employee satisfaction with new ways of working. In addition, it would be valuable to examine the significance of each identified factor affecting worker satisfaction, as well as to investigate variations in the importance of these factors among employees of different genders, ages and job positions. Such studies would provide deeper insights into how diverse demographic and geographic factors shape workers’ experiences and perceptions of remote and flexible work arrangements in the new normal.

The findings of the study can be useful for HRM when implementing new ways of working to achieve maximum satisfaction and better performance of employees.

At the time the research began, no tools validated in Italy for measuring workers’ satisfaction with the new normal work arrangements were available.

This paper aims to analyse the sustainability of two Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya campuses evaluating energy consumption. To do this, the authors consider using geographic information systems (GIS) tools to calculate greenhouse gas emissions in several scenarios.

Mixed methods (graphical and statistical) and a case study approach are used, considering energy consumption invoice data (electricity and gas) and qualitative data such as the use of buildings, academic calendar, schedules and the COVID-19 pandemics evolution. This study considers two Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya campuses in Barcelona: Baix Llobregat and Diagonal Nord.

The Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya has been managing energy consumption since 2010 using SIRENA (Sistema d’Informació dels Recursos Energètics i l’Aigua, sd) as an energy monitoring and management information system for all the campuses. However, this consumption has never been neither directly computed nor visualized over the study area.This research has used GIS as a sustainability assessment tool, and the results have shown that it can be appropriate for managing data and generating new information that allows detecting anomalies in those buildings that emit more carbon dioxide at different time intervals on Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya campuses. Heat maps are obtained using spatial analysis with inverse distance-weighted interpolation method, supported by statistical analysis such as percentage variation, outlier detection and nonparametric paired tests to verify the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions using renewable energy sources. After having applied the established methodology, the results obtained have determined that energy consumption can demonstrate the state of the buildings, and how much they can affect the environment if measures are not established to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Furthermore, it has been detected that the buildings on both university campuses have pollution problems, generated by the workload and use.

This paper aims to promote the use of tools for sustainability assessment in buildings and to detect existing deficiencies that allow to establish measures to mitigatng these risks in the present and future, and reducing pollution and carbon dioxide emissions. One such tool is GIS. Taking advantage of the situation produced by the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been possible to consider different real occupancy scenarios and their implication on consumption. Likewise, the GIS tools are useful for decision-making as they allow visualization of real environmental problems in buildings, thus proposing continuous improvement strategies to reduce environmental pollution.