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Pathways to Carbon Neutrality: Circular Economy and Sustainable Innovation for Green Industry

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Economic and Business Aspects of Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 February 2026 | Viewed by 1216

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
College of Environmental Studies, National Dong Hwa University, Hualien 974301, Taiwan
Interests: carbon neutrality; nature-based solutions; circular economy; carbon footprint

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Guest Editor
Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering, Nanhua University, Chiayi 62249, Taiwan
Interests: dynamic modeling the bioenvironmental systems; ecological risk assessment and management; environmental control; ecotoxicology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The accelerating challenges posed by climate change, resource depletion, and environmental degradation have brought about an urgent need for transformative approaches to achieving carbon neutrality across various sectors. Among the most promising strategies is the implementation of circular economy principles combined with sustainable innovation as these approaches offer not only pathways for reducing carbon emissions but also enhance long-term industrial resilience and economic competitiveness through waste minimization, value chain transformation, and the optimization of resource use.

This Special Issue, entitled “Pathways to Carbon Neutrality: Circular Economy and Sustainable Innovation for Green Industry”, aims to create a global platform for interdisciplinary research and practical insights into how industries can transition toward low-carbon, circular, and sustainable models. With increasing attention from policymakers, businesses, and civil society, it is essential to examine how technological innovation, policy reform, life cycle thinking, and nature-based solutions can be integrated to design and scale carbon-neutral systems.

Despite the growing volume of literature on sustainability and environmental innovation, many studies remain sector-specific or lack integration across disciplines. Therefore, we propose a more holistic and systemic approach that links circular economy frameworks, carbon management tools, digital technologies, and green industrial practices under the umbrella of sustainable development. The aim is to stimulate dialogue and disseminate cutting-edge knowledge that supports carbon neutrality transitions in industrial sectors, with implications for both developed and developing economies.

This Special Issue welcomes original research articles, case studies, and review papers that contribute to the theoretical, empirical, and policy dimensions of this topic, and research areas may include, but are not limited to, the following topics:

  • Circular economy design and policy instruments for industry;
  • Carbon footprint assessment, reduction strategies, and offsetting mechanisms;
  • Nature-based solutions and ecosystem services for climate mitigation;
  • Applications of AI, IoT, and digital twins in resource optimization;
  • Green technologies for manufacturing, construction, and supply chains;
  • Industrial symbiosis, cleaner production, and zero-emission strategies;
  • Corporate sustainability reporting, ESG, and regulatory compliance;
  • Innovations in energy efficiency and renewable integration for carbon reduction;
  • Climate-smart business models and pathways for just industrial transition.

We look forward to your contributions that advance understanding and practice in the journey toward carbon neutrality and sustainable industrial transformation.

Prof. Dr. Yao-Ming Hong
Prof. Dr. Bo-Ching Chen
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • carbon neutrality
  • circular economy
  • green industry
  • sustainable innovation
  • climate action
  • resource efficiency
  • net-zero emissions
  • carbon footprint
  • nature-based solutions

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Published Papers

This special issue is now open for submission.
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