Life Cycle Thinking in the Era of Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence: Implications for Green Energy and Sustainability
A special issue of Clean Technologies (ISSN 2571-8797).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026 | Viewed by 7
Special Issue Editor
Interests: life cycle assessment; environmental impact evaluation; life cycle costing; sustainable energy; circular economy; multi-objective optimization; digitalization
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
This Special Issue explores the integration of Life Cycle Thinking with emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence (AI) and digitalization, and their combined potential to accelerate sustainable energy transitions and environmental goals. It investigates how Life Cycle Thinking frameworks can be enhanced with AI-powered analytics, machine learning, and digital twin technologies to expand the precision, scope, and timeliness of environmental impact evaluations across product and energy system lifecycles. The collection addresses key applications, including predictive modelling of environmental performance, automated sustainability optimization, and real-time monitoring of resource flows and emissions. It also demonstrates both the opportunities and challenges of integrating these technologies, from data quality and algorithmic transparency to scalability and cross-sector implementation. Key themes include AI-enhanced sustainable design methodologies, digital platforms enabling circular economy practices, and intelligent decision-support systems for more informed environmental decision-making. Together, these contributions illustrate how technological integration can lead to measurable improvements in resource efficiency, emissions reduction, and renewable energy deployment, while maintaining scientific rigor and credibility. By bridging traditional sustainability assessments with cutting-edge digital innovations, this Special Issue aims at providing new insights and evidence-based strategies for researchers, policymakers, and industry leaders committed to sustainable development in the digital age.
Dr. Dimitrios Sotirios Kourkoumpas
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- life cycle thinking
- artificial intelligence (AI)
- digitalization
- sustainable energy transitions
- environmental impact evaluation
- machine learning
- digital twin technologies
- circular economy
- resource efficiency
- predictive modelling
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