Environmental Sustainability and Applications
A section of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050).
Section Information
Over the last decades, the use of primary resources has been increased due to the growing global population, the improvement of economies and a new life-style which is changing the habits of populations from high income and developing countries. However, some goods, such as fossil fuels, free lands, metals and mineral reserves are mostly limited, while renewable resources such as water and recyclable materials are commonly mismanaged. As a result, the sustainable use of resources is becoming mandatory for the development of current economies in a viable way, in order to maintain a clean environment for long time.
Since the second half of the 20th century, research and studies have focused their interest on environmental concerns such as air pollution, water and soil contamination, excessive mine extraction, deforestation, waste mismanagement and unplanned land use, among others. This attention is due to the increasing frequency of events which affect the lives of people worldwide and which are introduced mostly by anthropic activity. Hence, changing the form of industrialization, resource management and project development has been suggested by many authors, providing many solutions that can be viewed as a real opportunity. For example, the main solution suggested is the inclusion of the so-called “Circular Economy” in current and future management plans. This theory has been developed in order to encourage change in the general behavior of public policies which adopted the concept of the linear economy (i.e., buy–use–waste), introducing a few management steps to change the end-of-life stage of resources, with the aim of recovering and reusing something that is not necessary at the current moment. Thus, the reuse of recyclable materials, the inclusion of renewable energies, the treatment of wastewater for its reuse, the construction of new facilities adopting green policies (reducing the energy consumption and improving efficiencies), and the reuse of low-value materials, are all solutions that were recommended for the enhancement of new economies in a sustainable manner and by viable means. On one hand, many efforts were introduced at international and local level for the adoption of these proposals into new management policies. On the other, more studies are required, in order to boost the development of sustainable technologies and projects.
This section focuses on original research and reviews regarding the sustainable development and re-use of natural resources according to the principle of the Circular Economy. In this framework, studies concerning the sustainable use of water resources, biomass valorization, recycling of waste, energy recovery, renewable energy provision and the sustainable exploitation of natural resources are welcome as well as other related arguments, in the form of both specialized and interdisciplinary manuscripts.
Prof. Dr. Vincenzo Torretta
Section Editor-in-Chief
Editorial Board
Topical Advisory Panel
Special Issues
Following special issues within this section are currently open for submissions:
- Advances in Synthesis, Characterization and Environmental Assessment of Eco-Friendly Polymers for Sustainable Applications (Deadline: 31 March 2024)
- Effects of CO2 Emissions Control on Transportation and Its Energy Use (Deadline: 31 March 2024)
- New Insight into the Relationship between Economic Expansion and Carbon Dioxide Emission (Deadline: 31 March 2024)
- Monitoring of Environmental Matrices: New Scenarios and Future Perspectives (Deadline: 31 March 2024)
- Natural Quality, Environmental Resources and Global Value Chain (Deadline: 31 March 2024)
- Sustainable Management of Energy in Mining Industry (Deadline: 31 March 2024)
- Sustainable Water Resources Management under Growing Anthropic Demands and the Effects of Climate Change (Deadline: 31 March 2024)
- The Economic and Environmental Pillars of Sustainable Development in the European Union (Deadline: 31 March 2024)
- Recent Advances in Climate Change and Water Resources (Deadline: 3 April 2024)
- Oriented Biotransformation and Recycling of Organic Waste Cascade Utilization (Deadline: 7 April 2024)
- Innovation and Sustainable Development of Remote Sensing Technology (Deadline: 15 April 2024)
- Food Waste Valorization and Anaerobic Digestion (Deadline: 19 April 2024)
- Current Advances in Green Governance and CO2 Emissions towards Sustainable Development (Deadline: 30 April 2024)
- Sustainable Bioeconomy and Biotechnology in Waste Management (Deadline: 30 April 2024)
- Emerging Research in Sustainable Environmental Management: From the View of Human Ecology (Deadline: 30 April 2024)
- Concrete and Waste Management for Sustainable Construction: Challenges and Opportunities (Deadline: 30 April 2024)
- Assessment of the Environmental Risk and Challenges of Micro(nano)plastics (Deadline: 30 April 2024)
- Advanced Studies in Recycling and Waste Management (Deadline: 30 April 2024)
- Sustainable Aquatic Food Systems: Harmful Algal Bloom Consequences in a Changing Climate (Deadline: 1 May 2024)
- Digital Solutions for Promoting a Circular Economy and Sustainability (Deadline: 4 May 2024)
- Wetland Ecosystem Services Evaluation and Conservation (Deadline: 31 May 2024)
- Toxic Metal Remediation: Recent Advances in the Development of a Green and Sustainable Environment (Deadline: 31 May 2024)
- Sustainability and Indoor Environmental Quality (Deadline: 31 May 2024)
- Wetlands: Conservation, Management, Restoration and Policy 2nd Edition (Deadline: 31 May 2024)
- Environmentally Sustainable and Water Engineering: Arid and Semiarid Hydrology and Sediment Transport (Deadline: 31 May 2024)
- Geographical Information Research for Eco-Environment Sustainable Development (Deadline: 31 May 2024)
- Bioeconomy, Circular Economy and Sustainability 2nd Edition (Deadline: 5 June 2024)
- Development and Application of Environmental Materials (Deadline: 9 June 2024)
- Latest Advances and Prospects in Sustainable Waste Management (Deadline: 9 June 2024)
- Sustainable Management of Energy and Environment Based on Life Cycle Assessment (Deadline: 24 June 2024)
- Green Infrastructures: Theoretical Aspects, Experimental Tests and Numerical Analyses (Deadline: 28 June 2024)
- Artificial Intelligence Applications for Sustainable Environment (Deadline: 30 June 2024)
- Innovative Approaches toward Healthy and Sustainable Environment: Air, Water, Food, and Waste Treatment (Deadline: 30 June 2024)
- Sustainable Waste Management in the Healthcare Sector (Deadline: 30 June 2024)
- Sustainability in the Seafood Chain and Impacts on Product Quality (Deadline: 1 July 2024)
- Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology (Deadline: 1 July 2024)
- Challenges and Future Trends in Integrating Adaptation to Climate Change and Green Infrastructure in Planning Practice (Deadline: 12 July 2024)
- Application of Remote Sensing and GIS for Promoting Sustainable Geoenvironment (Deadline: 27 July 2024)
- Recent Advances in Biomass Conversion, Renewable Energy, and Biomaterials (Deadline: 31 July 2024)
- Sustainable Management of Sewage Sludge Based on Recovery and Reuse Strategy: Ecological and Health Risks (Deadline: 31 July 2024)
- Environmental Policy as a Tool for Sustainable Development (Deadline: 10 August 2024)
- Designing Scenarios as Interpretive Measurement of Human–Environment-Social Sustainable Interaction (Deadline: 22 August 2024)
- Environmental Economics and Ecological Transformations from a Sustainability Perspective (Deadline: 30 August 2024)
- Impact of Heavy Metals on the Sustainable Environment (Deadline: 31 August 2024)
- Towards Sustainability: The Role of Corporate Social Responsibility in Addressing Environmental and Social Challenges (Deadline: 31 August 2024)
- Sustainable Solutions for Carbon Dioxide Emissions Mitigation through Utilization Schemes (Deadline: 1 September 2024)
- Recent Advances in Environmental Geochemistry (Deadline: 5 September 2024)
- Sustainable Remediation of Soil and Water Contaminant: Innovations and Practices (Deadline: 20 September 2024)
- Nature-Based Solutions for Wastewater Treatment and Polluted/Degraded Ecosystem Restoration (Deadline: 30 September 2024)
- Photocatalytic Oxidation, Materials Studies, Photochemistry Analysis in Organic Pollutants under Sustainable Environmental Governance (Deadline: 30 September 2024)
- Advanced Research on Bioenergy and Biofuel Production from Anaerobic Digestion Processes (Deadline: 9 October 2024)
- Data-Driven Approaches for Identifying Environmental Sustainability Challenges and Benefits (Deadline: 26 October 2024)
- Advances in Waste Biomass and Environmental Sustainability (Deadline: 31 October 2024)
- Energy Economic Transition and Environmental Sustainability for Resilient and Inclusive Markets and Cities (Deadline: 31 October 2024)
- Environmental Economics in Sustainable Social Policy Development (Deadline: 5 November 2024)
- Environmental Noise Assessment and Analysis for a Sustainable Environment (Deadline: 15 November 2024)
- Emerging Contaminants in the Environment: Measurement, Transport, Impacts, Bioaccumulation, and Remediation (Deadline: 22 November 2024)
- Achieving Carbon Neutrality: Opportunities and Challenges, 2nd Edition (Deadline: 24 November 2024)
- Artificial Intelligence Leading the Way to Environmental Solutions (Deadline: 30 November 2024)
- Sustainable Lighting: Design for Human Wellbeing and Technological Development (Deadline: 30 November 2024)
- Organic Waste Valorization and Risk Control of Emerging Pollutants During This Process (Deadline: 6 December 2024)
- Design for Sustainability in the Minerals Sector (Deadline: 31 December 2024)
- Innovative Approaches, Techniques and Technologies Related to Retrofitting Architectural Heritage for Sustainable and Resilient Cities (Deadline: 31 December 2024)
- Energy Transition and Carbon Mitigation Solutions: Addressing Issues Related to Renewable/Nonfossil Electricity Systems (Deadline: 31 December 2024)
- Energy Consumption Control and Environmental Pollution Treatment in Sustainability (Deadline: 31 December 2024)
- Global Hydrological Studies and Ecological Sustainability (Deadline: 25 January 2025)
- Circular Economy and Green Innovation for Sustainable Business Development (Deadline: 30 January 2025)
- The Road to Sustainable Resources and Environmental Economics—2nd Volume (Deadline: 31 January 2025)
- Sustainable Treatment of Organic Pollutants and Microbial Degradation for Environmental Sustainability (Deadline: 31 May 2025)
- Sustainable Urban Mobility, Transport Infrastructures and Services (Deadline: 1 July 2025)
Topical Collections
Following topical collections within this section are currently open for submissions:
- Advances in Biomass Waste Valorization
- Aquaculture and Environmental Impacts
- Circular Economy and Sustainable Strategies
- Climate Change, Landscape in Transition and Tools for Sustainable Landscape Planning (Closed)
- Environmental Assessment, Life Cycle Analysis and Sustainability
- Eutrophication and Sustainable Management of Water (Closed)
- Feature Papers in Sustainable Use of the Environment and Resources
- Fisheries Economics and Management
- Impact of COVID-19 on the Environment, Energy and Economics (Closed)
- Organic Waste Management
- Reviews, Advances and Applications in Environmental Sustainability
- Risk Assessment and Management
- Sustainable Consumption and Production
- Sustainable Integrated Clean Environment for Human & Nature
- Trends in Municipal Solid Waste Management (Closed)