Environmental Sustainability and Applications
A section of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050).
Section Information
Environmental sustainability is a broad concept that brings together the ecological and socio-economic components of sustainability. Environmental sustainability is closely related to the maintenance of environmental security, defined by Müller and colleagues in 2008 as: [environmental security], in an objective sense, aims to evaluate the level of threats in order to acquire and sustain ecosystem values in terms of ecosystem goods and services at multiple scales, and in a subjective sense, it represents a level of fear that such values will be attacked and possibly lost.
Over the last decades, the use of primary resources has increased due to the growing global population, economic improvements, and new life styles, which are changing the habits of populations in both high-income and developing countries. However, non-renewable ecosystem goods (i.e., fossil fuels, fertile lands, metals, and mineral reserves) and services (i.e., climate regulation, pollination, and disturbance regulation) are commonly mismanaged and at risk. As a result, the sustainable use of natural resources is becoming mandatory for the development of current economies and the support of human well-being, and to guarantee long-term environmental sustainability and security.
Since the second half of the 20th century, research and studies have focused their interest on environmental concerns such as air pollution, water and soil contamination, excessive mine extraction, deforestation, waste mismanagement, and unplanned land use changes. In this context, a social–ecological perspective of environmental sustainability is based on a system’s adaptability to environmental change in terms of its ability to cope with human and natural disturbances in a changing world. However, to enhance environmental sustainability, it is mandatory to deal with threats and hazards and with human responses to environmental risks.
In this context, this section focuses on original research and reviews regarding the current state of our understanding of how to measure and manage the environmental sustainability of socio-ecological systems to enhance their resilience and security through different applications at different spatial (urban, regional, national, and worldwide) and temporal (short-, medium-, and long-term) scales. Spatial and remote sensing approaches, subjective assessments based on human perception and values, and scenario building are all welcome. The proposal and use of new environmental sustainability metrics can help assessing and supporting environmental planning and management towards sustainability.Editorial Board
Topical Advisory Panel
Special Issues
Following special issues within this section are currently open for submissions:
- Current Advances in Green Governance and CO2 Emissions towards Sustainable Development (Deadline: 30 April 2024)
- Sustainable Bioeconomy and Biotechnology in Waste Management (Deadline: 30 April 2024)
- Emerging Research in Sustainable Environmental Management: From the View of Human Ecology (Deadline: 30 April 2024)
- Assessment of the Environmental Risk and Challenges of Micro(nano)plastics (Deadline: 30 April 2024)
- Sustainable Aquatic Food Systems: Harmful Algal Bloom Consequences in a Changing Climate (Deadline: 1 May 2024)
- Wetland Ecosystem Services Evaluation and Conservation (Deadline: 31 May 2024)
- Toxic Metal Remediation: Recent Advances in the Development of a Green and Sustainable Environment (Deadline: 31 May 2024)
- Sustainability and Indoor Environmental Quality (Deadline: 31 May 2024)
- Wetlands: Conservation, Management, Restoration and Policy 2nd Edition (Deadline: 31 May 2024)
- Environmentally Sustainable and Water Engineering: Arid and Semiarid Hydrology and Sediment Transport (Deadline: 31 May 2024)
- Geographical Information Research for Eco-Environment Sustainable Development (Deadline: 31 May 2024)
- Bioeconomy, Circular Economy and Sustainability 2nd Edition (Deadline: 5 June 2024)
- Development and Application of Environmental Materials (Deadline: 9 June 2024)
- Latest Advances and Prospects in Sustainable Waste Management (Deadline: 9 June 2024)
- Sustainable Management of Energy and Environment Based on Life Cycle Assessment (Deadline: 24 June 2024)
- Green Infrastructures: Theoretical Aspects, Experimental Tests and Numerical Analyses (Deadline: 28 June 2024)
- Artificial Intelligence Applications for Sustainable Environment (Deadline: 30 June 2024)
- Innovative Approaches toward Healthy and Sustainable Environment: Air, Water, Food, and Waste Treatment (Deadline: 30 June 2024)
- Sustainable Waste Management in the Healthcare Sector (Deadline: 30 June 2024)
- Sustainability in the Seafood Chain and Impacts on Product Quality (Deadline: 1 July 2024)
- Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology (Deadline: 1 July 2024)
- Challenges and Future Trends in Integrating Adaptation to Climate Change and Green Infrastructure in Planning Practice (Deadline: 12 July 2024)
- Application of Remote Sensing and GIS for Promoting Sustainable Geoenvironment (Deadline: 27 July 2024)
- Recent Advances in Biomass Conversion, Renewable Energy, and Biomaterials (Deadline: 31 July 2024)
- Sustainable Management of Sewage Sludge Based on Recovery and Reuse Strategy: Ecological and Health Risks (Deadline: 31 July 2024)
- Environmental Policy as a Tool for Sustainable Development (Deadline: 10 August 2024)
- Designing Scenarios as Interpretive Measurement of Human–Environment-Social Sustainable Interaction (Deadline: 22 August 2024)
- Environmental Economics and Ecological Transformations from a Sustainability Perspective (Deadline: 30 August 2024)
- Impact of Heavy Metals on the Sustainable Environment (Deadline: 31 August 2024)
- Towards Sustainability: The Role of Corporate Social Responsibility in Addressing Environmental and Social Challenges (Deadline: 31 August 2024)
- Sustainable Solutions for Carbon Dioxide Emissions Mitigation through Utilization Schemes (Deadline: 1 September 2024)
- Recent Advances in Environmental Geochemistry (Deadline: 5 September 2024)
- Sustainable Remediation of Soil and Water Contaminant: Innovations and Practices (Deadline: 20 September 2024)
- Nature-Based Solutions for Wastewater Treatment and Polluted/Degraded Ecosystem Restoration (Deadline: 30 September 2024)
- Photocatalytic Oxidation, Materials Studies, Photochemistry Analysis in Organic Pollutants under Sustainable Environmental Governance (Deadline: 30 September 2024)
- Recent Advances in Climate Change and Water Resources (Deadline: 3 October 2024)
- Advanced Research on Bioenergy and Biofuel Production from Anaerobic Digestion Processes (Deadline: 9 October 2024)
- Data-Driven Approaches for Identifying Environmental Sustainability Challenges and Benefits (Deadline: 26 October 2024)
- Concrete and Waste Management for Sustainable Construction: Challenges and Opportunities (Deadline: 31 October 2024)
- Advances in Waste Biomass and Environmental Sustainability (Deadline: 31 October 2024)
- Advanced Studies in Recycling and Waste Management (Deadline: 31 October 2024)
- Energy Economic Transition and Environmental Sustainability for Resilient and Inclusive Markets and Cities (Deadline: 31 October 2024)
- Digital Solutions for Promoting a Circular Economy and Sustainability (Deadline: 4 November 2024)
- Environmental Economics in Sustainable Social Policy Development (Deadline: 5 November 2024)
- Environmental Noise Assessment and Analysis for a Sustainable Environment (Deadline: 15 November 2024)
- Emerging Contaminants in the Environment: Measurement, Transport, Impacts, Bioaccumulation, and Remediation (Deadline: 22 November 2024)
- Achieving Carbon Neutrality: Opportunities and Challenges, 2nd Edition (Deadline: 24 November 2024)
- Soil Microorganisms, Plant Ecology and Sustainable Restoration (Deadline: 30 November 2024)
- Artificial Intelligence Leading the Way to Environmental Solutions (Deadline: 30 November 2024)
- Sustainable Lighting: Design for Human Wellbeing and Technological Development (Deadline: 30 November 2024)
- Organic Waste Valorization and Risk Control of Emerging Pollutants during This Process (Deadline: 6 December 2024)
- Design for Sustainability in the Minerals Sector (Deadline: 31 December 2024)
- Evaluation of Energy– Environment Interactions Using the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Method (Deadline: 31 December 2024)
- Innovative Approaches, Techniques and Technologies Related to Retrofitting Architectural Heritage for Sustainable and Resilient Cities (Deadline: 31 December 2024)
- Energy Transition and Carbon Mitigation Solutions: Addressing Issues Related to Renewable/Nonfossil Electricity Systems (Deadline: 31 December 2024)
- Energy Consumption Control and Environmental Pollution Treatment in Sustainability (Deadline: 31 December 2024)
- Global Hydrological Studies and Ecological Sustainability (Deadline: 25 January 2025)
- Water Environmental Control of Pollutants and Environmental Sustainability (Deadline: 29 January 2025)
- Circular Economy and Green Innovation for Sustainable Business Development (Deadline: 30 January 2025)
- The Road to Sustainable Resources and Environmental Economics—2nd Volume (Deadline: 31 January 2025)
- Development Trends in Environmental Economics, Environmental Policy, and Regional Sustainability-Volume II (Deadline: 28 February 2025)
- Our Future Earth and Sustainable Ecological Environment and Society—2nd Edition (Deadline: 28 February 2025)
- Ecosystemic Services and Landscape Perspectives on Sustainable Urban Forest Planning (Deadline: 1 March 2025)
- Sustainable Development and Land Use Change in Tropical Ecosystems (Deadline: 31 May 2025)
- Sustainable Treatment of Organic Pollutants and Microbial Degradation for Environmental Sustainability (Deadline: 31 May 2025)
- Sustainable Urban Mobility, Transport Infrastructures and Services (Deadline: 1 July 2025)
Topical Collections
Following topical collections within this section are currently open for submissions:
- Advances in Biomass Waste Valorization
- Aquaculture and Environmental Impacts
- Circular Economy and Sustainable Strategies
- Climate Change, Landscape in Transition and Tools for Sustainable Landscape Planning (Closed)
- Environmental Assessment, Life Cycle Analysis and Sustainability
- Eutrophication and Sustainable Management of Water (Closed)
- Feature Papers in Sustainable Use of the Environment and Resources
- Fisheries Economics and Management
- Impact of COVID-19 on the Environment, Energy and Economics (Closed)
- Organic Waste Management
- Reviews, Advances and Applications in Environmental Sustainability
- Risk Assessment and Management
- Sustainable Consumption and Production
- Sustainable Integrated Clean Environment for Human & Nature
- Trends in Municipal Solid Waste Management (Closed)