Scope

Understanding the environmental, social, and economic implications of a technology, process, material, or policy is crucial for transition toward a sustainable future. Governments, corporates, investors, consumers, and the public too increasingly demand quantitative sustainability information for their procurement, product design, investment, and policy decisions. Various approaches and tools have been developed and utilized to meet the growing need of quantitative sustainability information: Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), input-output analysis, environmental footprint assessment, planetary boundary assessment, material flow analysis, techno-economic analysis, system dynamics, agent-based model, econometric analysis, and causal inference analysis. However, significant challenges still exist in advancing the science of quantitative sustainability assessment due to the complexity of the system in question, increasingly globalized supply chain, uncertainty and gaps in data, and the inherent indeterminacy of future consequences. Addressing these challenges and advancing the field requires a joint effort from multiple domains of science including natural science, engineering, economics, social science, data science and informatics. This specialty section aims to serve as a multi-disciplinary venue for exchanging cutting-edge research in quantitative sustainability assessment. We welcome original manuscripts that address the methodology, data, or implementation aspects of quantitative sustainability assessment including, but not limited to, the following topics:

·       Social, technological, and economic assessment of technologies, processes, materials, or policies;

·       Life cycle assessment including consequential approaches, life cycle inventory, life cycle impact assessment, and interpretation;

·       Environmental input-output analysis;

·       Social and environmental footprints including carbon and water footprints;

·       Assessment of planetary boundaries;

·       Human well-being and prosperity assessment beyond GDP;

·       Sustainable purchasing and environmental information disclosure;

·       Circular economy, and materials and resource efficiency;

·       Evidence-based policy and causal inference analysis.

Priorities will be given to the manuscripts that address:

·       Novel approach;

·       New data;

·       Integration of multiple disciplines and approaches;

·       Emerging technology, process, material or policy with significant implications on sustainability.

Applications of existing methodology and data without significant sustainability policy implications will not be considered.

Submission

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