Do Businesses Increase Their Value by Adopting Innovative Sustainability Practices?

Dear Colleagues,

Adopting innovative sustainability practices has become a key driver of business success in today’s dynamic global market. Stakeholders are increasingly prioritizing environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance alongside financial outcomes. Emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, Internet of Things (IoT), and big data analytics are transforming the way businesses implement and measure their sustainability initiatives, offering new opportunities to enhance transparency, efficiency, and value creation.

AI supports smarter decision-making with predictive insights, blockchain ensures secure and transparent tracking of sustainability metrics, IoT devices enable real-time monitoring of environmental data, and big data analytics uncover actionable trends to drive impactful strategies. However, the integration of these technologies also introduces challenges such as ethical dilemmas, data privacy concerns, and the need for sector-specific solutions.

This call for research seeks to explore how businesses can leverage innovative technologies to enhance their sustainability practices while addressing these challenges. We invite contributions that provide insights into the opportunities and barriers associated with these practices, including case studies, industry analyses, and forward-looking perspectives on the role of technology in fostering sustainable business growth.

Suggested Themes

1. Emerging Technologies in ESG Practices

• The role of blockchain in ensuring transparency and reliability in ESG initiatives.
• IoT applications for real-time tracking of environmental metrics, such as carbon emissions and energy usage.
• AI and machine learning techniques for predicting ESG risks and improving decision-making.

2. Big Data Analytics for ESG Strategies

• Leveraging big data to analyze and benchmark ESG performance across industries.
• Overcoming challenges in integrating and standardizing data for effective ESG reporting.
• Addressing ethical considerations in handling large-scale ESG-related datasets.

3. Regulatory Frameworks and Technological Adaptation

• How regulatory bodies are influencing the use of emerging technologies in ESG practices.
• Ensuring compliance with international ESG standards through technological solutions.
• Policy implications of integrating technology in ESG measurement and governance.

4. Cross-Industry Applications of Technology in ESG

• Comparative studies on the adoption of emerging technologies across industries.
• Insights into unique challenges and innovations in ESG practices specific to different sectors.
• Case studies showcasing successful technology integration in leading firms' ESG initiatives.

5. Challenges and Opportunities in Technology Adoption

• Barriers to adopting emerging technologies for ESG practices in small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
• Cost-benefit analysis of implementing advanced technologies in ESG efforts.
• Opportunities for collaboration between technology providers and industry leaders to enhance ESG outcomes.

6. Impact of Technology on ESG Accountability and Transparency

• How technology improves the credibility and verification of ESG claims.
• The role of professionals in managing technology-driven ESG processes.
• Innovations in assurance practices facilitated by emerging technologies.

7. Future Trends in Technology-Enabled ESG Practices

• The convergence of technologies to create integrated ESG solutions.
• Speculative insights into the next wave of technological advancements for ESG.
• The evolving role of industry professionals in navigating the tech-driven ESG landscape.

Submission Guidelines

We welcome both empirical and conceptual contributions, including but not limited to qualitative and quantitative studies, literature reviews, and interdisciplinary approaches. Submissions should clearly address the use of emerging technologies in advancing ESG practices, offering valuable insights for academics, practitioners, and policymakers. We look forward to receiving your contributions that explore how innovative technologies are transforming the future of ESG strategies and sustainability efforts

Dr. Graham Gal
Dr. Arion Cheong
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.

• ESG
• AI
• big data
• sustainability
• transparency
• technology