Social Challenges of Sustainable Development

Dear Colleagues,

This special issue is dedicated to the status and significance of modern society in the process of pursuing sustainable development goals. The sustainable development concept has emerged as the priority vision for the future of our planet and the development of human civilization based on universal norms and social values [1]. Human beings are a social species that is capable of adapting to new environments, and these factors are the key determinants of social and economic growth. Humans live in social groups, and they cooperate to achieve common goals and resolve shared problems [2]. Recent years have witnessed a shift in attitudes towards social and economic growth and a renewed interest in the notion of the common good, which is manifested by social responsibility for a clean and healthy environment [3, 4]. Nearly all human activities exert an impact the environment, the economy and the society, and they influence our well-being, quality of life, and the survival of the human species [5]. A participatory approach to sustainable development is consistent with the principle of subsidiarity which posits that decisions should be made as closely as possible to the citizens. The ultimate goal of sustainable development can be reached only through the cooperation of all stakeholders, which is why the principle of participation should be incorporated into the concept of extended social responsibility that requires broader and more active participation of all social entities [6, 7]. All citizens should be made aware that responsible attitudes towards consumption, production, environmental protection and progressive social values will determine the survival of the current and future generations [5, 8].

1. Saracevic, S.; Schlegelmilch, B.B. The Impact of Social Norms on Pro-Environmental Behavior: A Systematic Literature Review of The Role of Culture and Self-Construal. Sustainability 2021, 13, 5156, doi:10.3390/su13095156.
2. Pawlewicz, K.; Pawlewicz, A. Interregional Diversity of Social Capital in the Context of Sustainable Development—A Case Study of Polish Voivodeships. Sustainability 2020, 12, 5583, doi:10.3390/su12145583.
3. Betlej, A. Wyzwania zrównoważonego rozwoju w społeczeństwie sieci (Challenges of Sustainable Development in Network Society). Zeszyty Naukowe. Organizacja i Zarządzanie / Politechnika Śląska 2017, z. 106, doi:10.29119/1641-3466.2017.106.10.
4. Cosmulese, C.G. European Journal of Accounting, Finance & Business. Reflections On Sustainable Development and Durability of Resources 2019, IX.
5. Mensah, J. Sustainable Development: Meaning, History, Principles, Pillars, and Implications for Human Action: Literature Review. Cogent Social Sciences 2019, 5, 1653531, doi:10.1080/23311886.2019.1653531.
6. Dobrzańska, B.M. Wskaźniki zrównoważonego rozwoju. In Zrównowazony rozwój - aspekty rozwoju spolecznosci lokalnych; Fundacja Forum Inicjatyw Rozwojowych: Bialystok, 2009; pp. 20–28 ISBN 978-83-929825-0-0.
7. Guo, F. The Spirit and Characteristic of the General Provisions of Civil Law. Law and Economics 2017, 3, 5–16.
8. Horton, P.; Horton, B.P. Re-Defining Sustainability: Living in Harmony with Life on Earth. One Earth 2019, 1, 86–94, doi:10.1016/j.oneear.2019.08.019.

We would like to invite you to submit original research papers to the Special Issue of Sustainability entitled “Social Challenges of Sustainable Development”.

This special issue is dedicated to the status and significance of modern society in the process of pursuing sustainable development goals. In view of the challenges faced by modern societies, sustainable development is the key, if not the only strategy for building a stable future for our planet. Sustainable development is a complex concept that integrates environmental protection with social and economic growth. Current social attitudes and decisions undoubtedly influence the achievement of sustainable development goals and, consequently, the fate of the present and future generations. Therefore, the main aim of this special issue will be to present novel interdisciplinary research on social responsibility, social awareness and the common good concept. Particular emphasis will be placed on social participation in the process of managing the surrounding space. The complex nature of human-environment interactions is a highly interesting topic of scientific inquiry. Rapid scientific progress generates new research methods and observations that can facilitate the discovery of novel relationships between the society and sustainable development, and can pave the way to a sustainable future. This special issue is open to research papers that discuss the latest trends in social responsibility based on the existing body of knowledge in the field of social and economic geography.

Dr. Katarzyna Pawlewicz
Prof. Dr. Iwona Cieślak
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.