Call for Papers: Advancing Comprehensive Digital Sustainability Beyond Green ICT 

The transition toward a more sustainable future in Europe is increasingly shaped by the intersection of digitalisation and sustainability. This perspective lies at the heart of the Digital4Sustainability initiative, which explores how digital transformation can be aligned with environmental responsibility, social inclusion, and economic resilience. As Europe advances its twin transition, there is growing recognition that digital technologies must not only enable the green transition but also be sustainable in their own right.

The journal Sustainability is launching a new Special Issue titled “Comprehensive Digital Sustainability: Integrating Environmental, Economic, and Social Dimensions Beyond Green ICT” that will address this critical challenge. They invite contributions from researchers, practitioners, and stakeholders across sectors.

A Broader Vision of Digital Sustainability

In the context of the EU’s twin transition, this Special Issue promotes a systemic perspective on digitalisation. Rather than focusing solely on how ICT can support sustainability, it emphasises the need to assess and improve the sustainability of digital activities themselves.

This includes tackling pressing issues such as:

• The environmental footprint of AI scaling and data centre expansion
• The rapid growth of electronic waste and the need for circular lifecycles
• Digital inclusion gaps and social inequalities
• Ethical concerns, including data privacy, algorithmic governance, and digital rights

By integrating environmental, economic, and social dimensions, the initiative seeks to move beyond traditional “green ICT” approaches toward a more comprehensive understanding of digital sustainability.

Topics of Interest

The Special Issue welcomes original research articles and comprehensive reviews on a wide range of topics, including:

• Green ICT
• AI and quantum computing sustainability
• Sustainable data centres & digital sobriety
• Circular lifecycles & the right to repair
• Sustainable software engineering
• SDG applications
• Digital inclusion, ethics & digital rights
• Data privacy, cybersecurity & tech sovereignty
• Digital labour & algorithmic governance

This Issue will focus on the impact of digital activities themselves, not “ICT for sustainability” applications. Contributions that explore the broader socio-technical and economic implications of digital systems are particularly encouraged.

Submission Details

Submissions are open on a rolling basis, with accepted papers published online upon approval.
The final deadline for submission is March 2027.

Researchers, practitioners, and stakeholders are warmly invited to contribute and help advance a more holistic and resilient vision of digital sustainability.

👉Read more & submit