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 24
Special Issue Editor
Interests: heat recovery; air conditioning; ventilation; renewable heat sources; heat pump; cooling
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
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
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
- 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
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.
