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Elsevier

Journals in Environmental policy

  • Ecosystem Services

    • ISSN: 2212-0416
    Ecosystem Services is an international, interdisciplinary journal that seeks to enhance science, policy and practice surrounding ecosystem services, which are direct and indirect contributions of ecosystems to human wellbeing. The journal is associated with the Ecosystem Services Partnership (ESP).The aim of the journal is to improve the understanding and management of ecosystem services—including their dynamics, interactions, social and economic benefits and their distribution, and pluralistic values—in systems with different levels of human influence, across local to global scales.Manuscripts will contribute to the above aim by:(1) Advancing technologies, methods, and data to capture and, where appropriate, empirically measure the dynamics and values of ecosystem services—through innovation, integration, conceptualization or testing.(2) Generating and integrating knowledge and information on ecosystem services and their interactions, including in the context of other conceptual frameworks that describe human-nature relations. (3) Fostering dialogues between science and policy that provide decision-makers with robust empirical evidence on ecosystem services assessment and valuation, support mainstreaming into economic and land-use management policies, and shed light on the consequences of policies and management for ecosystem services, sustainability, and nexus approaches.Manuscrip... must be appropriately grounded in, or critically engage with, state-of-the-art frameworks that address human-nature relationships, ranging from dualistic to holistic, and the broader context of ecosystem service science, policy or practice (including, for example, Nature’s Contributions to People, Nature-based Solutions). They may be interdisciplinary or draw from specialized fields, including ecological, economic, social, health, psychological, environmental and political sciences. Papers should be of relevance to an international audience. We encourage the submission of novel empirical and conceptual work.We welcome applications of established tools (e.g., InVEST) when they make a clear contribution to advancing ecosystem services knowledge. Manuscripts that replicate standard workflows without new data, methods, or policy-relevant insight will not be considered.Manuscrip... dealing with ecosystem services data and models should be reproducible and demonstrate Open Science best practices, such as Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable (FAIR), and Collective benefit, Authority of control, Responsible and Ethical (CARE) principles. We encourage monetary valuation papers to align their work with the structure of the Ecosystem Services Valuation Database (ESVD; https://www.esvd.inf... articles may address, but are not limited to, the following topics:Diverse and plural benefits and values of ecosystem services, including economic and socio-cultural valuation approaches.Integrati... of ecosystem services into governance and policy frameworks, including natural capital accounting, ex ante and ex post policy evaluation, integrated planning for biodiversity conservation and sustainable development, and issues of environmental equity and justice.Innovative public and private financing and business strategies, including Payment for Ecosystem Services, blue and green bonds, debt-for-nature swaps, and ecological fiscal transfers.Innovative institutional designs to better manage and steward ecosystem services, including common asset trusts, cooperatives, and deliberative democracy institutions.Role of ecosystem services in sustainable environmental practices (e.g., land use, soils, water), including Nature-based Solutions, building with nature, and ecosystem restoration.Advances in co-production, decision support tools, and community engagement in the context of ecosystem services.Methodologi... innovation in ecosystem services assessments, modelling, and mapping, including applications of artificial intelligence and big data research techniques, and across scales.Transparent and reproducible science, including replicability studies, data and methods sharing.
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  • Sustainable Chemistry and Pharmacy

    • ISSN: 2352-5541
    Sustainable Chemistry and Pharmacy publishes research onsustainable chemistry and sustainable pharmacygreen chemistry and green pharmacychemistry and pharmacy within in a bio-circular economyBoth experimental and conceptual work addressing related issues are welcome. Contributions from all disciplines including e.g., humanities, social science, political science, jurisprudence, economics, ethics, and others are also welcome if they address issues related to sustainable and green chemistry or sustainable and green pharmacy.Manuscripts are typically addressing topics such asrenewable resourcesnew sustainable synthetic approachescutting edge green and sustainable analytical methodsgreen and sustainable chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturing, distribution, use and applicationend of life of productsrecycling and circulationwaste and energy flowsalternative energy sourcessocial and environmental protectionbio-circul... economygreener and more sustainable substitution of molecules, materials, products and their related substance flows, as well as processes.For all articles it is important to highlight novelty, and greenness, and/or sustainability of the work presented e.g., by referring to the principles of green chemistry, or sustainability aspects taking into account the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, or the key characteristics of sustainable chemistry or the general principles of sustainability such as subsistence, efficiency and consistence. This has to be addressed in the cover letter and in the manuscript.Manuscrip... that only are minor extension of well-established methodologies or concepts are not appropriate for the journal (e.g., articles on green synthesis of nanoparticles, new adsorption materials, routinely synthesis of heterocycles and ordinary analytical method development / application), as these manuscripts often lack sufficient novelty. The journal neither publishes research associated with 'end-of-pipe' or simple remediation issues, if they are not clearly related to greenness or sustainability.Revie... are not published anymore by SCP, only if they are submitted on invitation by an editor of the journal.
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  • Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment

    • ISSN: 1361-9209
    Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment publishes original research on the environmental impacts of transportation, policy responses to those impacts, and their implications for the design, planning, and management of transportation systems. It covers broad aspects of the interaction between transportation and the environment, ranging from the environmental effects of a local transportation system to global implications of natural resource depletion and atmospheric pollution.The journal invites submissions of research papers that analyze broad environmental impacts from all existing and emerging modes of both passenger and freight transportation. Papers dealing with transportation infrastructure and the environment are also considered. The emphasis of the journal is on original scientific findings and innovative policy responses of a regulatory, planning, technical or fiscal nature. Articles should demonstrate generalizable policy and methodological relevance to research and practice. Submissions of an interdisciplinary nature are encouraged and should appeal to readers from a wide range of disciplines. TRD includes a section focusing on Disasters and Resilience with its own dedicated Section Editors. Transportation plays a critical role in the resilience of communities. Disasters are unexpected, low probability events which can overwhelm the capacity of systems to function and provide vital services supporting human health, environmental quality, and economic and social livelihoods. Transportation systems are essential to effective disaster response, relief, recovery, and mitigation. This section of TRD encourages transportation researchers from multiple disciplines to address the critical ways in which transportation science and the supporting theories, methods, and tools can be applied to increase societal resilience against all hazards, both natural and man-made.
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  • Environmental Impact Assessment Review

    • ISSN: 0195-9255
    Environmental Impact Assessment Review (EIA Review) is a peer-reviewed, interdisciplinary journal serving a global community of academics, practitioners, policymakers, and regulators engaged with impact assessment (IA) theory and practice. As defined by the International Association for Impact Assessment (iaia.org), impact assessment is a transformative process that informs and guides decisions and actions by governments, businesses, and individuals — aiming to maximize positive outcomes and minimize negative effects in support of sustainable development.Since its mandatory introduction in the United States under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) on January 1, 1970, IA has become one of the world's most widely adopted environmental policy tools. In the decades since, a broad range of IA policies, tools, and procedures has emerged, spanning multiple sustainability dimensions and objectives.IA is now used across public and private sectors worldwide. What began as a forward-looking procedure for predicting impacts at the project and strategic level has grown into a broad theoretical and applied field, encompassing ex-ante, ex-post, life-cycle, and ecological evaluations of projects, policies, plans, programs, areas, ecosystems, products, materials, and services.For EIA Review, IA covers assessment of impacts on or of the environment — including Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) — as well as Social Impact Assessment (SIA), Health Impact Assessment (HIA), Risk Assessment (RA), Economic Impact Assessment (EIC), climate change assessment, ecosystem assessment, natural resource assessment, etc.The journal publishes impactful studies grounded in innovative theory and practice across these areas, including but not limited to:Impact assessment theories and innovative assessment and decision-making methodologies: e.g., theory building and testing for EIA/SEA and cumulative effects assessment (CEA), novel predictive assessment models, multi‑criteria system evaluation, quantification of energy values and ecosystem services, and optimized approaches to environmental decision-making, including algorithms for cost‑benefit analysis (CBA).Impact assessment regulations, governance regimes and institutional comparisons: e.g., national environmental legislative procedures, approval and supervision mechanisms, regional and national EIA reforms, comparative analyses of different EIA systems, and empirical studies on public participation within EIA governance.Strategic environmental assessment and territorial‑spatial planning evaluation: e.g., SEA for land development, industrial parks and regional planning, quantitative measurement of ecological constraints in territorial space, and effectiveness tracking for planned EIA implementation.Life Cycle Assessment and carbon‑footprint accounting: e.g., product life‑cycle environmental impacts, industrial‑scale carbon‑footprint calculation, energy‑value analysis for energy systems, and integrated environmental‑benefi... evaluation for the circular economy.Integrated cross‑impact assessments: e.g., Social Impact Assessment, Health Impact Assessment, Landscape impact evaluation, Human‑rights‑related equity considerations, integrated climate‑risk assessment (RIA), and coupled models for multi‑dimensional composite impacts.Ecological conservation and natural‑resource assessment: e.g., biodiversity impact assessment, quantitative evaluation of watershed and forest ecosystem impacts, ecological gains and losses induced by land‑use change, and supporting‑tool development for ecological compensation.Green industry, supply‑chain and environmental management: e.g., corporate environmental‑manage... systems, supply‑chain sustainability assessment, environmental‑risk mitigation for large‑scale infrastructure and energy projects, and supporting evaluation mechanisms for green finance.Systematic reviews and meta‑analyses related to impact assessment: e.g., evidence synthesis of comprehensive IA practices, critical reviews of assessment methodologies, mapping of global EA research trends, and development of forward‑looking research frameworks.Manuscrip... ExpectationsEIA Review is an international journal with a global readership; manuscripts should be contextualized to address geographical and political issues relevant to a broad audience. The journal accepts original research that may adopt a case-study design but does not accept papers that merely report or describe IA case studies applying existing methods within a single jurisdiction without wider learning points. Case studies must explicitly demonstrate innovative theory or practice and offer clear value to an international readership.Despite its title, EIA Review is not limited to review articles. The journal welcomes three manuscript types: Full-Length Article, Review Article, and Opinion Paper. "Review" in the journal's name refers to its blind peer-review process — a minimum of two reviewers — which ensures every publication is reliable, insightful, innovative, topical, and coherent.The journal receives far more submissions than it can accept. Manuscripts within scope may still be desk-rejected for insufficient novelty or unclear potential to advance the field.Authors are encouraged to review recent articles in the journal to understand how the editorial team evaluates potential manuscripts concerning their innovation, contribution and approach.
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  • Forest Policy and Economics

    • ISSN: 1389-9341
    Forest Policy and Economics is the leading hub for social sciences research on forests. It developed into a globally leading scientific journal that publishes peer-reviewed policy and economics research relating to forests, forested landscapes, forest-related industries, and other forest-relevant land uses. It also welcomes contributions from other social sciences and humanities perspectives. These disciplines include, but are not limited to, sociology, anthropology, human geography, history, jurisprudence, planning, development studies, and psychology research on forests. We only welcome works that make clear theoretical, conceptual or methodological contributions to the existing state-of-the-art literature. This includes a systematic positioning of works in recent international literatures. We, hence, discourage simple case studies, surveys, consultancy works or reports, which do not make such universal contributions and which do not reflect beyond the individual case.Forest Policy and Economics is global in scope and acceptance for publication is subject to a double-blind peer-review process. The journal publishes the following, article types, all of which are peer-reviewed and fully citable: Regular research articles are full-length original scientific publications based on clearly defined methods and adequate dataReview articles provide a systematic, analytical, and global overview of a specific field of scientific literature based on the systematic analysis of a well-defined body of existing international publicationsSpecial Issues consist of a collection of articles resulting from previous scientific exchange among a group. Potential Guest Editors are invited to submit 1-3 page proposals for Special Issues, including envisaged contributions, to [email protected]... Commentaries are science-based, peer-reviewed, short communications formulated as one of the following types:Science Critiques critically discuss previous research published in our journal or in other high-impact outlets.Research Trends (including book reviews) identify emerging empirical phenomena and issues of importance that should be addressed by future research.Policy Forum are short commentary pieces on contemporary, internationally relevant forest or forest-related policy issues that enable researchers, policy makers, and practitioners to make timely contributions to policy debates.
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  • Waste Management

    • ISSN: 0956-053X
    Waste Management is devoted to the presentation and discussion of information on all aspects of solid waste and by-product management, under the framework of a circular economy and waste as a resource in order to close the loop. These aspects include generation, composition, collection, resource recovery and valorization (treatment), and final disposal. Also, the journal accepts manuscripts that address waste management policy, education, economic and environmental assessments (LCAs), artificial intelligence applications on solid waste management. Moreover, the journal accepts submissions on new solid waste management technologies, successful full-scale applications and Best Available Techniques examples. The journal addresses various types of solid wastes, namely: municipal (e.g., household, institutional, and commercial), agricultural, hazardous household, hazardous and non-hazardous industrial, construction and demolition, and healthcare waste, as well as dewatered sludges, spent batteries and accumulators, used vehicle tires, end of life vehicles, waste electrical and electronic equipment, textile waste, and other special solid waste streams. Note that Waste Management does not accept manuscripts focusing primarily on social or behavioral science aspects (e.g. surveys) or purely bibliometric studies. Manuscripts that focus solely on the characterization and use of a waste material in a new product are often more suitable for a journal that focuses on the material properties of the product (e.g. construction and building materials, materials science, polymer science journals). Finally, mining, metallurgical and radioactive wastes are not in the scope of the journal.The journal welcomes both fundamental and applied research that can be related to problems of interest to solid waste researchers, practitioners and/or policy makers. Well documented case studies will be considered but they must describe results that can be applied beyond the specific location of the case study. In considering whether a manuscript is suitable for publication in Waste Management, consider whether the information is of potential use to solid waste researchers, practitioners and/or policymakers.The following are some of the major areas in which papers are solicited within the solid waste management field:Minimization, generation, composition (including material flow analyses)Novel technologies in storage, collection, transport, and transferResource and energy recovery (mechanical, biological, chemical, thermal treatment, biorefining, etc.)Novel aspects in final disposal and landfilling Artificial intelligence applications (identification, sorting, process optimization, etc.)Environmental assessments (including LCA, S-LCA)Economic assessments (including LCC)Policy, legislation and planningBest practices and full-scale applications
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  • Resources, Conservation & Recycling

    • ISSN: 0921-3449
    The journal Resources, Conservation & Recycling welcomes contributions from research, which consider sustainable management and conservation of resources. The journal emphasizes the transformation processes involved in a transition toward more sustainable production and consumption systems. Emphasis is upon technological, economic, institutional and policy aspects of specific resource management practices, such as conservation, recycling and resource substitution, and of "systems-wide" strategies, such as resource productivity improvement, the restructuring of production and consumption profiles and the transformation of industry.Contributio... may have relevance at regional, national or international scales and may focus at any level of research from individual resources or technologies to whole sectors or systems of interest. Contributors may emphasise any of the aforementioned aspects as well as scientific and methodological issues. However, manuscripts that consider only laboratory experiments, without a discussion of the practical, environmental and economic implications of the presented research, are excluded from publication in the journal.The journal publishes papers, reviews, analyses and case studies on topics, which include:Transformati... of the industrial and societal system towards more sustainable production and consumption patterns, including management, instruments, methods and processes of change.Information and management systems involving resource status, use and material flows in society.Innovation processes, tools and methods relating to resource productivity improvement.Technica... societal, economic, business and policy aspects of strategies to improve the sustainability and productivity of resource use, including strategies for managing resource supply and demand, valorizing waste, lowering energy and material intensities and increasing the serviceability of products.Substitutio... of primary resources by renewable or regenerative alternatives, including agricultural and forest resources and wastes.Material flow analysis and the understanding of resource use and flows in society and the impact on the environment, including resource extraction and waste generation.Life cycle assessment and management of resources, materials and products to improve resource efficiency and productivity, conserve resources and reduce pollution.Societal, economic and technological change for improved recovery and reuse of materials and energy from domestic, commercial or industrial waste streams.Efficient management and use of all resources, including air and water, with regard to the qualitative as well as quantitative aspects of resource use.Resources, Conservation & Recycling has a Golden Open Access companion journal Resources, Conservation & Recycling Advances which features an independent editorial board and a separate peer-review process. To submit to Resources, Conservation & Recycling Advances, please visit https://www.editoria... encourage those interested in organizing a special issue or a virtual special issue within the scope of the journal to contact Prof. Zhi Cao for more information. Additionally, we encourage potential organizers to carefully review the relevant requirements in the Guide for Authors before proceeding. Please note that each special issue can only accept up to three guest editors (GEs).
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  • Ecological Economics

    • ISSN: 0921-8009
    The Transdisciplinary Journal of the International Society for Ecological Economics (ISEE)The journal is concerned with extending and integrating the understanding of the interfaces and interplay between "nature's household" (ecosystems) and "humanity's household" (the economy). Ecological economics is an interdisciplinary field defined by a set of concrete problems or challenges related to governing economic activity in a way that promotes human well-being, sustainability, and justice. The journal thus emphasizes critical work that draws on and integrates elements of ecological science, economics, and the analysis of values, behaviors, cultural practices, institutional structures, and societal dynamics. The journal is transdisciplinary in spirit and methodologically open, drawing on the insights offered by a variety of intellectual traditions, and appealing to a diverse readership.Specific research areas covered include: valuation of natural resources, sustainable agriculture and development, ecologically integrated technology, integrated ecologic-economic modelling at scales from local to regional to global, implications of thermodynamics for economics and ecology, renewable resource management and conservation, critical assessments of the basic assumptions underlying current economic and ecological paradigms and the implications of alternative assumptions, economic and ecological consequences of genetically engineered organisms, and gene pool inventory and management, alternative principles for valuing natural wealth, integrating natural resources and environmental services into national income and wealth accounts, methods of implementing efficient environmental policies, case studies of economic-ecologic conflict or harmony, etc. New issues in this area are rapidly emerging and will find a ready forum in Ecological Economics.Ecological Economics Sections All submissions to Ecological Economics are reviewed using the general criteria of quality, creativity, originality, accuracy, and contribution to the field. There are several categories of articles to allow for a full range of constructive dialogue.News and Views Topical and timely short pieces reviewed by the editor and/or one outside reviewer at the editor's discretion. May include editorials, letters to the editor, news items, and policy discussions. Maximum 1500 words (600 words for letters).Commentary Essays discussing critical issues. Reviewed by two outside reviewers with the criteria weighted toward quality of the exposition and importance of the issue. Maximum 5000 words.Surveys Examination and review of important general subject areas. Reviewed by two outside reviewers with the criteria weighted toward importance of the subject and clarity of exposition. Maximum 8000 words.Methodological and Ideological Options Research articles devoted to developing new methodologies or investigating the implications of various ideological assumptions. Reviewed by two outside reviewers with criteria weighted toward originality and potential usefulness of the methodology or ideological option. Maximum 8000 words.Analysis Research articles devoted to analysis of important questions in the field. Reviewed by two outside reviewers with the criteria weighted toward originality, quality, and accuracy of the analysis, andimportance of the question. Maximum 8000 words.Book Reviews Reviews of recent books in the field. Reviewed by one outside reviewer with criteria weighted toward clarity and accuracy of the review, and importance of the book to the field. Maximum 1200 words.
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  • Environmental Development

    • ISSN: 2211-4645
    The Transdisciplinary Journal of SCOPEEnvironmental Development is a transdisciplinary, future-oriented journal focused on research and practices that contribute to globally relevant environment and development issues at local and regional scales.The immense task of reversing deteriorating environmental trends attributable to unsustainable development practices requires globally relevant solutions at the local and regional scale. Strategies to address the impediments to sustainable development include mitigation of climate change, adaptation to its impacts, and innovative responses to the problems of over-consumption or failures to manage the negative impacts of economic activities.Environme... Development provides a channel for theoretical knowledge contributions and empirical, practice-based applications addressing issues related to the environmental dimension of sustainable development. Environmental Development is interested in bold and innovative research applications, methods and practices that balance the need for development with the long term needs of society and the natural environment. The journal seeks to provide a platform for scientific and experiential knowledge exchange among researchers, development practitioners, policy professionals, and communities working at the interface of research and society. With its interest in research and practices that contribute to globally relevant environment and development issues at local and regional scales, the journal offers an international forum for research, communication, discussion and global action on environmental development.Environm... Development publishes research that strengthens the collaboration between the developed and developing world and links environmental research to broader issues of economic and social-cultural development. Environmental Development serves as a reference resource for information and learning from established and emerging researchers, strengthening the connections among fundamental research, policy development and applications in environmental management. Environmental Development is open to a broad range of disciplines and authors. The journal welcomes contributions from a younger generation of researchers, and papers expanding the trans- and interdisciplinary frontiers of the environmentally relevant sciences.All submissions to Environmental Development are reviewed using the criteria of quality, originality, precision and coherence, clarity of exposition, and the importance of the topic and insights, in accordance with the Journal's aims and scope. New insights and approaches to environmental development that contribute to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals are welcomed. The long-term implications for society and the natural environment are of deep and abiding interest.Each submission should be accompanied by a covering letter to the editor (see instructions to authors). In addition, the letter should:address the societal and scientific relevance of the manuscript in the context of environmental development, i.e. explain how the submission aligns with the aims and scope.explain why the submission can be considered trans- or interdisciplinary, andclarify how the local or regional issue is scalable, globally applicable and/or has policy, management or practical relevance.Submission... to the journal may be rejected based on an internal review by the Editors-in-Chief under the general category, "out-of-scope" if they fail to satisfy one or more of the above set of criteria. Other reasons why this may occur include:The submission is exclusively (bio)technical without a case-based application or thorough consideration of policy or practice implications.The submission is an (nominally environmental) econometric analysis.The methods in literature review submissions are inadequately described.Data sources are not clearly documented and/or are uncited.Research involving human subjects has not demonstrably adhered to ethical standards (see instructions to authors).The grammar and spelling do not meet academic standards.The submission is insufficiently novel or innovative.The following categories of submission are invited (see guide for authors) : Original research papers, original reviews of literature, perspective articles and letters to the Editor.The journal will consider hosting special issues with guest editors or an organised series of papers on a focused area of research. However, assessment of applications for these will be based on the quality and fit of an existing set of abstracts (or papers), or a pre-determined set of author contributions. Arrangements to publish a Special Issue may be negotiated with the organisers of a planned event, conference or workshop aligned with the scope of Environmental Development. Speculative proposals for special issues will not be considered. For more information, and to submit a proposed Special Issue please complete this Application form and submit it to the Commissioning Editor. Since the total number of annual submissions to the journal continues to grow rapidly, we will not be able to provide detailed explanations of reasons for desk rejection of individual submissions. Once a manuscript has been accepted for peer review, we will do our utmost to expedite the review process and inform authors of the outcome as quickly as possible.
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