Circular Economy and Green Technology for Sustainable Development

Dear Colleagues,

In recent decades, the pressing challenges posed by environmental degradation, climate change, and resource scarcity have intensified the global demand for sustainable development models. As traditional linear economic systems ("take–make–dispose") prove to be increasingly unsustainable, the circular economy (CE) has emerged as a transformative paradigm that promotes the decoupling of economic growth from resource consumption through restorative and regenerative industrial processes (Hysa et al., 2020; Geissdoerfer et al., 2017). By emphasizing reuse, recycling, remanufacturing, and closed-loop production systems, the circular economy offers a viable alternative to mitigate environmental impacts while fostering economic resilience and innovation.

Simultaneously, green technologies—encompassing renewable energy systems, clean production methods, and eco-innovations—play a pivotal role in enabling the transition toward circular models. These technologies not only minimize emissions and resource use, but also support lifecycle optimization across sectors (Lim et al., 2022; D'Amato et al., 2017). The integration of CE principles with green technological innovation is increasingly seen as a synergistic approach to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those related to responsible consumption and production (SDG 12), climate action (SDG 13), and industry innovation and infrastructure (SDG 9).

Despite growing scholarly interest, significant knowledge gaps remain regarding the practical implementation, measurement frameworks, cross-sectoral strategies, and policy implications of the circular economy and green technologies. Furthermore, there is a need for interdisciplinary dialog that bridges technical innovation, socio-economic dimensions, and sustainability science.

This Special Issue of Sustainability aims to advance the academic and practical discourse on the interconnections between circular economy strategies and green technological innovation in the pursuit of sustainable development. We invite critical perspectives and empirical studies that examine how technological, organizational, and policy innovations can be designed and implemented to support closed-loop systems, minimize environmental footprints, and foster long-term sustainability.

The scope of this Special Issue aligns with the journal’s mission to address complex sustainability challenges through interdisciplinary research and actionable insights. As such, it will serve as a platform for scholars, practitioners, and policymakers to explore novel approaches, share empirical evidence, and critically assess progress and barriers in the transition to sustainable economic and industrial systems.

 In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but not limited to) the following:  

• Circular economy models in industry, agriculture, construction, tourism, and urban development;
• Life cycle assessment (LCA), cradle-to-cradle design, and eco-design for circularity;
• Integration of green technologies in manufacturing, energy, and waste management systems;
• Digital technologies (e.g., IoT, AI, blockchain) as enablers of circular business models;
• Sustainable supply chain management and logistics in circular systems;
• Circular innovation and eco-entrepreneurship in SMEs and large enterprises;
• Policy frameworks, governance mechanisms, and regulatory instruments for CE adoption;
• Consumer behavior, social acceptance, and education for circular and green transitions;
• Indicators and metrics for assessing circular economy performance and impact;
• Case studies of successful circular economy and green technology implementations;
• Comparative studies across regions, sectors, or national strategies;
• Circular business models and sustainable innovation;
• New forms of value creation in the circular economy;
• Green technologies in strategic sectors;
• Applications of clean technologies in agriculture, energy, or transport;
• Artificial intelligence and digitalization in service of sustainability;
• Circular economy and public policies for sustainability;
• Analyses of regulatory frameworks and national strategies;
• Evaluation of public policies from the perspective of the SDGs;
• Sustainability indicators and impact measurement;
• Metrics and tools to assess environmental, social, and economic performance;
• Life cycle studies and ecological footprint analysis;
• Education, culture, and behavior change toward sustainable models;
• Environmental education, circular economy literacy, and just transition;
• Citizen participation and co-creation of sustainable solutions;
• Relationship between the circular economy, social justice, and equity;
• Sustainability with a focus on gender, labor rights, and vulnerable communities.

We encourage contributions that adopt interdisciplinary and multi-scalar approaches and that bridge the gap between theory and practice. Papers that provide policy recommendations or that identify future research directions are particularly welcome.  

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

References

D'Amato, D., Droste, N., Allen, B., Kettunen, M., Lähtinen, K., Korhonen, J., ... & Toppinen, A. (2017). Green, circular, bio economy: A comparative analysis of sustainability avenues. Journal of Cleaner Production, 168, 716–734. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.09.053

Geissdoerfer, M., Savaget, P., Bocken, N. M., & Hultink, E. J. (2017). The circular economy – A new sustainability paradigm?. Journal of Cleaner Production, 143, 757–768. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.12.048

Hysa, E., Kruja, A., Rehman, N. U., & Laurenti, R. (2020). Circular economy innovation and environmental sustainability impact on economic growth: An integrated model for sustainable development. Sustainability, 12(12). https://doi.org/10.3390/su12124831

Lim, J. S., Li, C., Van Fan, Y., & Klemeš, J. J. (2022). How circular economy and green technology can address Sustainable Development Goals? Journal of Cleaner Production, 333. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.130161

Prof. Dr. José Carlos Sánchez-García
Dr. Brizeida Hernández-Sánchez
Dr. Clara Margaça
Dr. Giuseppina Maria Cardella
Guest Editors

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• circular economy
• green technology
• sustainable development
• Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
• environmental innovation
• sustainable production models
• ecological transition
• sustainability policies
• sustainable entrepreneurship
• environmental governance