Advances of Sustainability Research: A Canadian Perspective

Dear Colleagues,

(1) Introduction

Human-induced climate change is one of the greatest global crises of our time, and the changes are expected to be widespread, rapid, and intensifying. Climate change is primarily caused by increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere. The construction industry alone is responsible for producing 36% of world’s total CO₂ and 35% of world’s total waste annually. Adding to this problem, tons of industrial waste are disposed of in landfills causing environmental pollution; thus, tackling the waste issue is also an economic, social, and environmental priority. These challenges create an opportunity to look into how we approach waste. Similarly, the lifecycle of engineering materials is a significant contributor to the environmental footprint associated with government, corporate and private activities, with respect to CO₂ emissions and other environmental impacts. As such, the circular economy is a novel paradigm to supplant the classic take–make–dispose model. Canadian researchers are developing new sustainable techniques to minimize waste and reduce CO₂ emissions across many industries, including construction, forestry, manufacturing, consumer goods, energy, architecture and more. The scope of which covers material selection and design, functional design practices, manufacturing, operations management, as well as supply chain development and management. The proposed research in this Special Issue is being conducted directly in partnership with community stakeholders (e.g., municipal governments, small-to-medium enterprises, large corporations), providing application-based and multi-disciplinarity contexts for solving pertinent and complex real-world challenges.

(2) Aim of the Special Issue

The Special Issue on “Advances of Sustainability Research: A Canadian Perspective” focuses on the recent developments in the field and aims to bring together high-quality research articles in this issue. We aim to target academic researchers and industry practitioners alike, demonstrating pathways for action-based collaboration and transformative change. This direct illustration of the importance of sustainability and achieving sustainable development for humanity, is well-aligned with the journal aims. Further, the subject areas addressed in this issue, within the journal’s scope, are as follows:

• Unsustainable patterns of production and consumption;
• Industrial development and energy crisis;
• Air pollution and climate change;
• Sustainable chemistry;
• Health-related aspects of sustainability;
• System analysis methods, including life cycle assessment and management.

(3) Suggest themes

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but not limited to) the following:

• Waste to value-added products;
• Sustainability in the construction industry;
• Recycling and upcycling materials;
• Supply chain development and optimization, including socio-economic elements;
• Lifecycle assessment, including the role of biodegradability;
• Advanced manufacturing and data analytics in the context of reducing environmental impacts.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Sumi Siddiqua
Dr. Bryn J. Crawford
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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.