Research in Sustainable Marketing and Digital Economy

Dear Colleagues,

The digital economy is increasingly shaping how businesses operate, how consumers make choices, and how societies pursue sustainable development. Digitalization, platformization, and data-driven marketing foster efficiency, innovation, and global connectivity. At the same time, these processes generate serious challenges: the growing environmental footprint of ICT infrastructures, the intensification of consumerism through digital convenience, and the rapid spread of greenwashing in online channels. Against this backdrop, sustainable marketing—rooted in the traditions of green marketing and eco-marketing—offers an essential framework for linking digital transformation with environmental responsibility, social well-being, and long-term economic resilience. This Special Issue seeks to explore the intersection of sustainable marketing and the digital economy, creating a platform for interdisciplinary research across marketing, consumer studies, management, economics, and sustainability science. Contributions may adopt the perspective of firms, consumers, or markets. The focus is both on opportunities and risks arising from digital transformation and on how sustainable marketing strategies can be redefined in response. Submissions are welcomed in the form of theoretical discussions, empirical research, systematic reviews, bibliometric analyses, and case studies.

The first research stream examines green and eco-marketing in digital environments. Traditional tools such as eco-labels, certifications, and environmental communication must be adapted to online platforms and e-commerce. Key questions involve consumer trust, claim credibility, and how to design communication that truly supports responsible purchasing. The second stream explores sustainable consumer behavior in digital contexts. Online platforms, mobile apps, and e-services shape lifestyles and choices. Research is needed on behavioral nudges, digital community initiatives, and peer-to-peer exchange as drivers of sustainable consumption, as well as rebound effects when digital convenience increases overuse of resources. The third stream focuses on digital ecosystems and the circular economy. Sharing platforms, product–service systems, and collaborative consumption show how technology can support resource efficiency. Yet, critical evaluation is required to assess whether these models provide genuine environmental benefits or simply shift burdens elsewhere. The fourth research stream addresses the environmental footprint of ICT infrastructures. Data centers, cloud services, and consumer devices are responsible for substantial energy use and carbon emissions. Research should quantify these effects and propose solutions, including renewable energy adoption, efficiency improvements, and eco-design of digital services. The fifth area considers artificial intelligence and big data in sustainable marketing. These tools can enhance decision-making by integrating lifecycle data, optimizing campaigns, and measuring sustainability returns. However, their significant energy demand and potential to reinforce unsustainable consumption highlight the need for critical reflection. The sixth stream concerns transparency, ESG communication, and anti-greenwashing in digital markets. Digital technologies such as blockchain and verification systems can strengthen reporting credibility, yet online spaces also facilitate misleading claims. Research is needed on governance, consumer trust, and regulatory frameworks. Finally, the global dimension of digital trade must be examined. While e-commerce and digital services can reduce travel, optimize logistics, and expand access to sustainable products, they may also fuel overall consumption. Understanding substitution and rebound effects, and their policy implications, is therefore essential.

By combining these perspectives, the Special Issue seeks to link sustainable, green, and eco-marketing with the opportunities and risks of digitalization. The aim is to generate theoretical insights, provide practical tools, and identify conditions under which the digital economy can drive sustainable development.

Contribution

This Special Issue seeks to connect traditional sustainable marketing approaches with digital transformations, offering both conceptual frameworks and practical insights. By integrating research streams on green marketing, eco-marketing, consumer behavior, ICT impacts, AI applications, and global trade, we aim to provide a holistic agenda for scholars and practitioners. The Special Issue will therefore serve as a platform for advancing knowledge that supports businesses, policymakers, and consumers in reconciling digital innovation with the urgent imperatives of environmental protection and social equity.

Prof. Dr. Robert Wolny
Prof. Dr. Marcin Lipowski
Prof. Dr. Jolanta Tkaczyk
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.

• sustainable marketing
• green marketing
• eco-marketing
• digital economy
• sustainable consumption
• e-consumer behavior
• circular economy
• ESG communication
• anti-greenwashing
• AI in marketing