In this research, data from 36 countries from 2013 to 2018 were used to examine the factors influencing CO2 emissions in Islamic countries, focusing on the impact of Islamic financial growth. The spatial econometric technique estimation findings indicate that there is no geographical association between CO2 emissions in the analyzed countries. The test findings establish the existence of the Kuznets hypothesis for the environment. Additionally, trade openness and increased energy usage have resulted in an increase in CO2 emissions. The impacts of traditional financial development factors, such as financial market and financial institution variables, were examined in this research. The findings indicate that the two variables have no direct and substantial influence on CO2 emissions and that their significant effect on CO2 emissions appears only when their nonlinear and spillover effects on energy consumption and economic growth are included. Additionally, the growth of financial institutions is inversely proportional to the intensity of carbon emissions. The results indicate that while the development of financial markets and institutions results in a significant increase in CO2 emissions, the negative coefficient of the interaction between financial development and energy consumption indicates that financial development ensures energy efficiency, which reduces the intensity of carbon emissions. The findings indicate that the expansion and depth of Islamic finance, as measured by total assets, asset quality, earnings, and efficiency of Islamic banks, can result in a nonlinear increase in CO2 emissions with a U-shaped relationship. The study of spillover effects demonstrates that in addition to their direct and positive effects on CO2 emissions, the increase in Islamic social responsibility and consumer education, and awareness about Islamic banking reduce the enhancing effects of energy consumption on greenhouse gas emissions.

Entrepreneurial intention (EI) is regarded as one of the most important indicators of entrepreneurial activities and behaviors, including the process of launching a new enterprise. While research on entrepreneurial intention has increased globally in recent years, there has been little research on the entrepreneurial intentions of university students in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI). This study examines the factors influencing entrepreneurial intentions among university students in the KRI, concentrating on perceived desirability, perceived feasibility, and propensity to act. A survey involving 213 business students from two universities in the cities of Erbil and Sulaimaniyah was conducted, and the collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression analysis in SPSS. The findings demonstrated a positive correlation between the perceived desirability and the business student’s entrepreneurial intentions but no significant connection with perceived feasibility. These results indicate that students’ choice to pursue entrepreneurship is mainly driven by their willingness and interest in the field, highlighting the significance of the psychological elements in Shapero and Sokol's model for enhancing students' entrepreneurial intentions. The study adds to the existing literature on factors influencing entrepreneurial intentions among university students in developing countries, providing valuable insights for university administration and educators in developing curricula and programs that align with students' goals in shaping their future endeavours, as well as for policymakers seeking to promote an entrepreneurial culture among university students in the KRI region.