Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability

Dear Colleagues,

This is a call for papers for the Topic ‘Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability’, which has been devised in order to empower decision-makers and energy stakeholders to join forces and proactively address the challenges of climate change. The current global warming measure of 1.0–1.1 °C above pre-industrial level has caused various natural disasters that are significantly challenging to human living environments. In the coming decades, climate change will hit the threshold of 1.5 °C with much severer environmental, economic and social consequences. This Topic aims to set up a holistic framework to address the major challenges of climate change, whilst achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

In this framework, climate change mitigation—decarbonization of society—is the root to address the climate change challenge. Notwithstanding, adaptation is an immediate and win–win action to increase resilience and reduce climate-related impacts and risks. The framework prioritizes sustainable urban–rural transformation and built environment decarbonization since cities and the built environment are the main settlements of human beings and the key implementer of climate resiliency, mitigation and adaptation. Moreover, this framework encourages the involvement and participation of all professions of society to accelerate climate change mitigation and adaptation progress, by developing sound climate-related governance systems in guidance, education, policy and advocacy.

The Topic ‘Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability’ welcomes high-quality works that focus on the development and implementation of systems, ideas, pathways, solutions, strategies, technologies, pilot cases and exemplars that are relevant to climate change impact measurement and assessment, mitigation and adaptation strategies and techniques, public participation and governance. Relevant themes include but are not limited to the following:

Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation

• Greenhouse gas emission and measurement;
• Climate-related disasters and reduction;
• Risk and vulnerability assessment and visualization;
• Impacts of climate change on health and well-being;
• Ecosystem services and carbon sequestration;
• Sustainable transport and climate change mitigation and adaptation;
• Sustainable building and construction;
• Industry decarbonization and economic growth;
• Renewable and clean energy potential and implementation;
• Environmental, economic and social benefits of climate change mitigation.

Sustainable Urban–Rural Planning and Design

• Climate change and regional economic development;
• Territorial spatial planning and carbon neutrality;
• Urban overheating mitigation and adaptation;
• Water sensitive urban design;
• Smart development for urban habitats;
• Sustainable land use and planning;
• Low-carbon cities and communities;
• Wind sensitive urban planning and design;
• Nature-based solutions;
• Urban morphology and environmental performance;
• Innovative technologies, models, methods and tools for spatial planning.

Decarbonization of Built Environment

• Climate-related impacts on the built environment;
• Health and well-being of occupants;
• Demands on energy, materials and water;
• Assessment methods, systems, and tools;
• Sustainable energy, materials, and water systems;
• Energy-efficient design technologies and appliances;
• Smart technology and sustainable operation;
• Uptake and integration of clean energy;
• Innovative materials for carbon reduction and environmental regulation;
• Building demolition and material recycling and reusing;
• Sustainable building retrofitting and assessment.

Climate-Related Governance and Challenges

• Targets, pathways and roadmaps towards carbon neutrality;
• Pathways for climate resilience and future sustainability;
• Challenges, opportunities and solutions for climate resilience;
• Climate change governance coalitions (networks) development and challenges;
• Co-benefits and synergies between adaptation and mitigation measures;
• Conflicts and trade-offs between adaptation and mitigation measures;
• Mapping, accounting and trading carbon emissions;
• Governance models, policies, regulations and programs;
• Financing urban climate change mitigation;
• Education, policy and advocacy of climate change mitigation and adaptation;
• COVID-19 and alike crisis impacts and lessons.

Prof. Dr. Baojie He
Dr. Ayyoob Sharifi
Prof. Dr. Chi Feng
Prof. Dr. Jun Yang
Topic Editors