Sustainable Consumption Modelling: Frameworks for Future Resilience

The pervasive issue of unsustainable consumption demands advanced analytical tools to predict and mitigate its environmental and social impacts. This Research Topic seeks to address this challenge by developing mathematical models— such as system dynamics models (e.g., dS/dt = rS(1-S/K) - C, where S represents resource stock, r is growth rate, K is carrying capacity, and C is consumption rate), supported by longitudinal consumption data. The goal is to create evidence based frameworks that inform policy, integrating variables like income, education, and resource availability. Achieving this requires collaboration across disciplines to validate models against real-world datasets, ultimately enhancing global sustainability strategies.

Sustainable consumption has become a critical research domain as climate change and resource scarcity intensify. Traditional approaches often lack quantitative rigor, prompting the need for modelling techniques grounded in data. Historical consumption trends, analyzed through statistical methods like regression (e.g., Y = β0 + β1X + ϵ, where Y is consumption, X is a predictor, and ϵ is error), reveal patterns necessitating intervention. This Research Topic builds on these insights, emphasizing data-driven models to contextualize sustainable practices across global regions.

This Research Topic focuses on developing and testing mathematical models for sustainable consumption, supported by empirical datasets. Themes include optimization models (e.g., linear programming to minimize resource use), stochastic models for uncertainty, and agent-based simulations. Contributors are invited to submit original research articles or reviews, employing quantitative methods and real-world data, such as household consumption surveys or national statistics. Manuscripts should articulate model formulations, data sources, and policy implications, aligning with the journals sustainability focus.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Community Case Study
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Community Case Study
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Policy and Practice Reviews
• Policy Brief
• Review
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: sustainable consumption, modelling, resilience, data analysis, policy

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.