| Abstract [eng] |
Since the second half of the 20th century the issue of sustainable development has become increasingly important. Society gradually begins to understand the consequences of excessive consumption to all dimensions of sustainable development, including environmental condition, social and economic fields. Responsible consumption replaces consumerism; different actions to diminish poverty and social exclusion, decreasing harm to environment and excessive economic growth are taken. Sustainable development is a constant and long-term societal development that aims at improving quality of human life and satisfying human needs with a minimum harm to Earth. It is necessary to take an appropriate action to ensure sustainable development in a country. It is important to reveal correlations between sustainable development and its driving forces and only then – to take decisions. International trade is one of such forces. In research it is important to clarify the impact of international trade on the quality of human life, environmental condition and economic change. Research object is the Lithuanian international trade. The goal is to evaluate sustainable development aspect of the Lithuanian international trade. To reach the goal the following tasks were formulated: 1. To analyse the concepts of international trade and sustainable development. 2. To reveal the issues of international trade and sustainable development. 3. To analyse the dynamics of international trade and sustainable development and its driving forces. 4. To determine interdependency relations between international trade and sustainable development and their strength. The expert survey findings have revealed that sustainable development of a country depends by 37.5 percent on environmental condition, by 33.3 percent – on social and by 29.2 percent – on economic domains. According to respondents, unemployment level, pollutant emissions, polluted wastewater in surface waters and forest density are the indicators with the largest impact on sustainable development. Sustainable development index (SDI) calculations for 2006-2016 have shown, that SDI of Lithuania is improving each year. So sustainable development strategy of the country has been gradually implemented. Lithuanian international trade has a negative impact on the state economy because of its deficit balance. In 2006-2016 the average trade deficit comprised 2700 million Euros per year. Correlation and regression analysis has shown an average SDI relation to international trade indicators. SDI and export have an 81 percent correlation, SDI and import – a 73 percent, SDI and trade balance – a 62 percent correlation. Analysis of dependency of international trade indicators on SDI has shown an obvious correlation between SDI, export and import; with increase of SDI, volumes of export and import have increased. However, the analysis of correlation between international trade balance and SDI reveals a different tendency. The relation between international trade balance and SDI is average – 62 percent. Basing on determination coefficient it could be argued that a change in SDI pre-condition a 38 percent changes in international trade balance, which is a weak interdependency relation. Research hypothesis is that there is a strong interdependency relation between Lithuanian international trade and sustainable development index. However, research findings have not confirmed the hypothesis. Interdependency relation between these indicators is weak; so, a change in one variable pre-conditions only a small change in another variable. |
