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Sustainability
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Carbon Neutral Society and Sustainable Development: Challenges and Solutions
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Carbon Neutral Society and Sustainable Development: Challenges and Solutions

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Engineering and Science".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 October 2025 | Viewed by 5228

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Ehsan Jorat

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Applied Sciences, Abertay University, Dundee DD1 1HG, UK
Interests: carbon sequestration; repurposing industrial byproducts

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

It is our pleasure to announce a new Special Issue on “Carbon Neutral Society and Sustainable Development: Challenges and Solutions” of the journal Sustainability.

To arrive at net-zero targets, various measures need to be taken globally which require action by all stakeholders, from individuals to governmental levels. Neutralizing emissions of carbon in societies and encouraging and supporting future sustainable development would directly contribute towards achieving net-zero targets; however, accomplishing carbon neutrality and sustainable development is challenging and any efforts towards them should be analyzed and assessed thoroughly to ensure any measures do not result in unintended environmental impact. The current challenges include: harm to soils and contamination of surface- and groundwater as a result of windfarm and hydro-power construction; retrofitting existing cities to introduce components of sustainable carbon neutrality; introducing carbon capture and storage solutions to offset carbon emissions that cannot be prevented/avoided; transitioning to zero-emission sustainable transportation systems in cities; acquiring sustainable sources of construction material with no or minimal damage to the environment; and implementing sustainable management of waste in carbon neutral societies (e.g., EV batteries).

This Special Issue focuses on a range of topics related to projects that work towards carbon-neutral societies and sustainable development by highlighting the challenges identified in such projects. We seek to present recommendations and solutions to the challenges identified in these projects.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome and research areas may include, but are not limited to, challenges and solutions related to the following projects:

  • Sustainable green energy solutions;
  • Carbon neutral cities of the future;
  • Urban carbon capture and sequestration solutions;
  • Sustainable urban transportation solutions;
  • Sustainable construction material sourcing;
  • Future waste management in sustainable cities.

Dr. Ehsan Jorat
Guest Editor

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
  • sustainable development
  • societies
  • challenges
  • solutions

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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21 pages, 2777 KiB  
Article
Enhancing Environmental Sustainability in the Coffee Processing Industry via Energy Recovery and Optimization: A Life Cycle Assessment Case Study
by Tryfon Kekes, Sokratis Emmanouil Koskinakis, Christos Boukouvalas and Magdalini Krokida
Sustainability 2025, 17(3), 1334; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17031334 - 6 Feb 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1843
Abstract
The coffee processing industry is amongst the most energy-intensive industrial sectors, with the roasting process requiring substantial quantities of energy. To enhance sustainability, various energy optimization and recovery methods have been proposed. This study evaluates the environmental benefits of integrating energy recovery techniques [...] Read more.
The coffee processing industry is amongst the most energy-intensive industrial sectors, with the roasting process requiring substantial quantities of energy. To enhance sustainability, various energy optimization and recovery methods have been proposed. This study evaluates the environmental benefits of integrating energy recovery techniques in a typical coffee processing industry using a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach. Specifically, two alternative scenarios were compared to a baseline processing line; (i) Scenario A, which involves recycling hot air streams to reduce natural gas consumption, and (ii) Scenario B, which utilizes an Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) to convert waste heat to electricity. The LCA analysis indicated that Scenario A achieved a 25% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and an 18% decrease in fossil fuel use. Scenario B demonstrated even greater environmental benefits, with a 40% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and a 36% decrease in fossil fuel depletion. These findings underline the potential of integrating energy recovery technologies to enhance the sustainability of coffee production, offering valuable insights for industry stakeholders and researchers focused on sustainable manufacturing practices. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Carbon Neutral Society and Sustainable Development: Challenges and Solutions)
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17 pages, 3609 KiB  
Article
Carbon Emission Trend Prediction for Regional Cities in Jiangsu Province Based on the Random Forest Model
by Wanru Yang, Long Chen, Tong Ke, Huan He, Dehu Li, Kai Liu and Huiming Li
Sustainability 2024, 16(23), 10450; https://doi.org/10.3390/su162310450 - 28 Nov 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1175
Abstract
This study accounted for and analyzed the carbon emissions of 13 cities in Jiangsu Province from 1999 to 2021. We compared the simulation effects of four models—STIRPAT, random forest, extreme gradient boosting, and support vector regression—on carbon emissions and performed model optimization. The [...] Read more.
This study accounted for and analyzed the carbon emissions of 13 cities in Jiangsu Province from 1999 to 2021. We compared the simulation effects of four models—STIRPAT, random forest, extreme gradient boosting, and support vector regression—on carbon emissions and performed model optimization. The random forest model demonstrated the best simulation performance. Using this model, we predicted the carbon emission paths for the 13 cities in Jiangsu Province under various scenarios from 2022 to 2040. The results show that Xuzhou has already achieved its peak carbon target. Under the high-speed development scenario, half of the cities can achieve their peak carbon target, while the remaining cities face significant challenges in reaching their peak carbon target. To further understand the factors influencing carbon emissions, we used the machine learning interpretation method SHAP and the features importance ranking method. Our analysis indicates that electricity consumption, population size, and energy intensity have a greater influence on overall carbon emissions, with electricity consumption being the most influential variable, although the importance of the factors varies considerably across different regions. Results suggest the need to tailor carbon reduction measures to the differences between cities and develop more accurate forecasting models. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Carbon Neutral Society and Sustainable Development: Challenges and Solutions)
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Review

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23 pages, 5174 KiB  
Review
Future Carbon-Neutral Societies: Minimising Construction Impact on Groundwater-Dependent Wetlands and Peatlands
by M. Ehsan Jorat, Andrew Minto, Irene Tierney and Daniel Gilmour
Sustainability 2024, 16(17), 7713; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16177713 - 5 Sep 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1527
Abstract
The decarbonisation of the energy sector through major renewable energy developments in rural areas is one the requirements for sustainable development and future carbon-neutral societies. However, this has resulted in increased construction on peatlands and wetlands and has led to diverse environmental impacts [...] Read more.
The decarbonisation of the energy sector through major renewable energy developments in rural areas is one the requirements for sustainable development and future carbon-neutral societies. However, this has resulted in increased construction on peatlands and wetlands and has led to diverse environmental impacts in the affected areas. The overall aim of this project was to review the effectiveness of standard mitigation measures used during construction to maintain the hydrological conditions within peat soils and wetland habitats. This work involved a literature review of the evidence of the impacts of construction on the habitat and groundwater in groundwater-dependent wetlands and peatlands. In addition, developers and contractors were consulted to gain feedback on what practical approaches have and have not been successful and remedial actions taken when monitoring or observation identifies ongoing issues. This research also developed regulatory-relevant recommendations. The main recommendation focuses on the central importance of collecting relevant and detailed site investigation data at an early stage of the application process to enable a full understanding of the site character and to inform a more accurate design process. This will reduce or avoid impacts on the environment, minimise risk, and produce a more informed construction strategy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Carbon Neutral Society and Sustainable Development: Challenges and Solutions)
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