Dear Colleagues,

Corporate carbon accounting is a key topic for contemporary academics, practitioners, and policy makers. Furthermore, the latest developments following the outbreak of COVID-19 have increased the focus on decarbonization and the demand to quantify this process. Decarbonization may be a mainstream trend in the coming years; however, carbon strategies will definitely shape the socio-economic horizon in the foreseeable future. Global efforts are concentrated on restabilizing the world economy after the impacts of the pandemic. However, in this post-pandemic restructuring, the return to “normal” must be by a decarbonized route. The crisis has also provided an opportunity to change the way in which the economy operates.

This Special Issue examines the impact of the current decarbonization scenario on the carbon footprint and carbon management of individuals, organizations, and industries. Changes have been stimulated by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. How long-lasting will these changes be? What factors influence the size of the carbon footprint, and in what direction will they change? How can we better measure and reduce our carbon footprint? Are there any new methodological approaches in the field, or can we refine existing frameworks? What theoretical considerations should we consider? Are contemporary measuring and reporting frameworks satisfying, or are there biases and distortions included? What are the projected changes in the carbon footprint of certain industries and consumer groups due to decarbonization policies (e.g., tourism, food, and car manufacturing industries)? How has the pandemic advanced or hindered carbon management strategies?

We also welcome studies that address the carbon management practices of organizations or industries related to policies; for example, the impact of the European Union’s carbon reduction target for car manufacturing companies. Carbon management studies on key consumption areas (such as heating, food, or travelling) are also welcome.

We are looking for original submissions in the field. Focus and scope may differ regarding this topic; submissions may include review papers and original research papers with either a quantitative or qualitative focus. Critical assessments of some crucial issues are also welcome. However, submissions need to be in line with the expectations of the journal.

References:

Harangozo, G.; Szigeti, C. Corporate carbon footprint analysis in practice – With a special focus on validity and reliability issues. J. Clean. Prod. 2017, 167, 1177–1183, doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.07.237.

Csutora, M.; Harangozo, G. Twenty years of carbon accounting and auditing–a review and outlook. Society and Economy, 2017, 39, 459–480.

Herold, D.M.; Lee, K.-H. Carbon management in the logistics and transportation sector: an overview and new research directions. Carbon Manag. 2017, 8, 79–97, doi:10.1080/17583004.2017.1283923.

Lenzen, M.; Sun, Y.-Y.; Faturay, F.; Ting, Y.-P.; Geschke, A.; Malik, A. The carbon footprint of global tourism. Nat. Clim. Chang. 2018, 8, 522–528, doi:10.1038/s41558-018-0141-x.

Csutora, M.; Zsoka, A.; Harangozo, G. The Grounded Survey – An integrative mixed method for scrutinizing household energy behavior. Ecol. Econ. 2021, 106907, 106907, doi:10.1016/j.ecolecon.2020.106907.

Amankwah-Amoah, J. Stepping up and stepping out of COVID-19: New challenges for environmental sustainability policies in the global airline industry. J. Clean. Prod. 2020, 271, 123000, doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.123000.

Szennay, Á.; Szigeti, C.; Beke, J.; Radácsi, L. Ecological Footprint as an Indicator of Corporate Environmental Performance—Empirical Evidence from Hungarian SMEs. Sustainability 2021, 13, 1000. https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13021000 

Scholz, K.; Eriksson, M.; Strid, I. Carbon footprint of supermarket food waste. Resour. Conserv. Recycl. 2015, 94, 56–65, doi:10.1016/j.resconrec.2014.11.016.

Prof. Dr. Maria Csutora
Dr. Gábor Harangozó
Dr. Cecília Szigeti
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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• carbon footprint
• theoretical approaches
• epidemic
• carbon strategies