AI-Optimized Design and Management in Environmental Engineering Towards Climate-Neutral Infrastructure
A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Sustainability and Applications".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 2 May 2026 | Viewed by 48
Special Issue Editor
Interests: heat recovery; air conditioning; ventilation; renewable heat sources; heat pump; cooling
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Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The urgent transition to climate-neutral infrastructure demands innovative approaches that integrate cutting-edge technologies with sustainable engineering practices. Artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a powerful tool to optimize design, monitoring, and management processes, enabling smarter decision-making in environmental engineering, energy systems, and construction. This Special Issue explores how AI-driven solutions can accelerate the development of low-carbon infrastructure, from energy-efficient buildings to resilient water management systems and renewable energy integration.
Key focus areas include the following:
- AI-enhanced modeling for reducing embodied carbon in construction materials and structures;
- Machine learning applications in predictive maintenance of green infrastructure (e.g., smart grids, urban drainage systems);
- Digital twins and IoT for real-time monitoring of emissions and energy consumption in built environments;
- Algorithm-aided planning of circular economy systems in waste and resource management.
We invite contributions addressing computational methods (e.g., neural networks, genetic algorithms) and case studies demonstrating AI’s role in achieving sustainability targets under the EU Green Deal and the UN SDGs. Research comprising technical breakthroughs and critical discussions on limitations (data scarcity, ethical risks) are both welcome.
By bridging AI research with environmental engineering, this Issue aims to map scalable strategies for infrastructure that meets net-zero goals while adapting to climate change.
Dr. Sławomir Rabczak
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- climate-neutral infrastructure
- AI-optimized design
- environmental engineering
- carbon footprint reduction
- digital twins
- sustainable construction
- machine learning applications
- smart energy systems
- circular economy
- predictive maintenance
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