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Enhancing Decision-Making Processes for Achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 5 February 2026 | Viewed by 3059

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
School of Business and Tourism Management, Yunnan University, Kunming 650500, China
Interests: management decision making and its application
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
Institute of Marine Economy and Management, Shandong University of Finance and Economics, Jinan, China
Interests: marine economic management; management decision making

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide the framework for the world's nations to address unprecedented environmental, social, and economic challenges; however, the existing decision-making process faces new situations and requirements to achieve these goals. The increasing complexity and interconnectedness of social, economic, and environmental issues have made it necessary for decisionmakers to go beyond single-domain thinking and adopt a systemic, interdisciplinary approach to achieve an integrated effect in decision making. In the actual decision-making process, problems such as a lack of systematization, weakened scientific evidence, ineffective cross-sectoral collaboration, and a lack of effective feedback and management mechanisms are still affecting the reliability and rationality of decision-making results for achieving the SDGs. With the 2030 deadline for achieving the SDGs less than a few years away, more effective decision-making processes are urgently required to significantly improve progress and accelerate the transition to a sustainable future.

This Special Issue primarily focuses on enhancing decision making for achieving SDGs. We believe that this kind of research, conducted under current complex situations, can provide guidance and support for the faster and better realization of the SDGs. We are seeking papers that involve the theory, models, methods, and applications of decision making for achieving the SDGs. Potential topics for submissions to this Special Issue include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • Decision-making theory or mechanism for achieving the SDGs.
  • Decision-making model or method for achieving the SDGs.
  • Systematic thinking in the decision-making process for sustainable development.
  • AI-involved decision making for sustainable development.
  • Data-driven decision making for sustainable development.
  • Risk management for sustainable development.
  • Emergency management for sustainable development.
  • Decision making in agriculture management for sustainable development.
  • Decision making in marine management for sustainable development.
  • Decision making in tourism management for sustainable development.
  • Decision making for ecological security in plateau characteristic agriculture.
  • Decision making for ecological security in marine ranching.
  • Multiple-criteria decision making for sustainable development.
  • Group decision making for sustainable development.
  • Decision making under uncertainty for sustainable development.

Prof. Dr. Yuan-Wei Du
Dr. Ye-Cheng Wang
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

  • sustainable development goals (SDGs)
  • sustainable development
  • ecological safety
  • systematic thinking
  • group decision making
  • multiple-criteria decision making
  • decision making under uncertainty
  • risk management
  • emergency management

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 6878 KiB  
Article
Evaluation of the Endowment of Geothermal Resources and Its Impact on Regional Industrial Structure: A Case Study of Qinghai Province (China)
by Zhen Zhao, Guangxiong Qin, Baizhong Yan and Chuanlong Han
Sustainability 2025, 17(4), 1751; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17041751 - 19 Feb 2025
Viewed by 363
Abstract
Geothermal resources are considered a clean energy source, and their development plays a key role in achieving sustainable development. This energy contributes to environmental protection, energy security, and economic growth, while also helping to alleviate energy poverty. Qinghai Province, rich in geothermal resources, [...] Read more.
Geothermal resources are considered a clean energy source, and their development plays a key role in achieving sustainable development. This energy contributes to environmental protection, energy security, and economic growth, while also helping to alleviate energy poverty. Qinghai Province, rich in geothermal resources, holds significant potential for development. First, this study evaluated the geothermal resources in the uplifted mountainous regions of Qinghai Province using the volumetric method and analyzed their spatial distribution. Next, the degree of geothermal resource endowment was measured, and the relationship between geothermal resources and industrial structure was analyzed. Finally, the Vector Autoregression (VAR) model and impulse response function were applied to assess the impact and duration of geothermal resources on changes in the industrial structure from 2000 to 2020. Geothermal resources in Qinghai Province exhibit significant regional variation, with the northern and western regions being particularly rich in geothermal resources, peaking at 3.58 × 1017 J in Banma County. Geothermal resources in Qinghai are predominantly utilized for power generation, averaging 42.20% of energy consumption. The interplay between geothermal resource use and industrial structure is intensifying, notably in secondary and tertiary sectors. Initially restrictive, the influence of industrial structure on geothermal resource use is projected to become facilitative as clean energy technologies advance. This study revealed the relationship between geothermal resources and the local industrial structure in Qinghai Province, providing a scientific basis for the sustainable and efficient development and utilization of these resources. It contributed to the long-term sustainability of geothermal resource exploitation. Full article
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21 pages, 2169 KiB  
Article
Theoretical Framework for the Supervision of Plateau-Characteristic Agroecological Security
by Yuanwei Du and Yiwei Zhang
Sustainability 2024, 16(24), 10802; https://doi.org/10.3390/su162410802 - 10 Dec 2024
Viewed by 831
Abstract
To mitigate the conflict between ecological restoration and the pursuit of economic benefits in characteristic agriculture within plateau regions, this study proposes a theoretical framework for supervising plateau-characteristic agroecological security (PCAES). Initially, characteristic agriculture is conceptualized as an artificial ecosystem resulting from the [...] Read more.
To mitigate the conflict between ecological restoration and the pursuit of economic benefits in characteristic agriculture within plateau regions, this study proposes a theoretical framework for supervising plateau-characteristic agroecological security (PCAES). Initially, characteristic agriculture is conceptualized as an artificial ecosystem resulting from the complex interactions between the ecological environment and specific agricultural resources in a given plateau region; thus, PCAES is defined as a sustainable developmental state of plateau-characteristic agriculture that ensures a high-quality resource supply without compromising ecological integrity. Subsequently, a theoretical framework of PCAES is constructed by analyzing supervisory subjects, objects, and their interrelationships, followed by an in-depth study from three different perspectives. At the foundational level, the monitoring and evaluation mechanism focuses on gathering data regarding resource composition and environmental conditions to assess ecological security. At the intermediate level, the early warning and decision-making mechanism aims at estimating potential ecological security issues and then designing and selecting optimal measures. At a higher level, the control and assurance mechanism directs stakeholders toward compliance with ecological safety regulations via resource allocation and macro-policy interventions while ensuring effective system operation. This study holds significant implications for advancing green development initiatives, enhancing agricultural scientific innovation, and promoting sustainable practices in plateau agriculture. Full article
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19 pages, 2056 KiB  
Article
Examining Strategies Developed by Insurance Companies for Addressing Carbon Emissions in the Automotive Supply Chain in the UK
by Yu Gong, Joshua Stanley, Bin Wang and Mohammed Alharithi
Sustainability 2024, 16(22), 9895; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16229895 - 13 Nov 2024
Viewed by 1168
Abstract
The automotive supply chain is one of the top eight value chains that cause 50% of global emissions. Despite its significance, limited literature has researched the role of insurance companies in addressing automotive supply chain emissions. This research explores strategies developed by insurance [...] Read more.
The automotive supply chain is one of the top eight value chains that cause 50% of global emissions. Despite its significance, limited literature has researched the role of insurance companies in addressing automotive supply chain emissions. This research explores strategies developed by insurance companies for addressing carbon emissions in the automotive supply chain in the UK. It employs a qualitative multiple case study approach and conducts in-depth analysis of main drivers, barriers, and strategies in four insurance companies in addressing automotive supply chain emissions. It finds that cost savings and competitive advantage, changing mindset, impending regulation, market changes, and increased connectedness are the main drivers. But further progress is slowed down by five main barriers: ‘the complexity of tracking and quantifying emissions’, ‘conflicts of interest in the supply chain’, ‘skill shortage’, ‘lack of accountability’, and ‘profit prioritisation’. To overcome this, the study establishes five main strategies for insurance companies to follow: ‘circular business model with green parts and repair-over-replace methodologies’, ‘supply chain collaboration’, ‘quantifying emissions and setting key performance indicators’, ‘higher weighting for ESG in tenders and policies’, and ‘education and awareness’. If followed correctly, businesses will be able to achieve ‘emission reductions’, ‘gain competitive advantage’, and ‘reduce costs in the supply chain’. Taking into account these findings and the academic literature, this study develops a framework for insurance companies to mitigate automotive supply chain emissions. This is one of the first papers to study carbon emissions in automotive supply chains from the perspective of the insurance industry. It provides practical implications for the insurance industry in developing carbon emission strategies in automotive supply chains. Full article
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