Sustainable Development in the Digital Economy: Impact on Consumer Behavior
A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Economic and Business Aspects of Sustainability".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2025 | Viewed by 48
Special Issue Editors
Interests: sustainable development; accounting; consumer behavior; agent-based modeling; systems theory; grey systems theory; neutrosophic theory
Interests: economic cybernetics; consumer behavior; agent-based modeling; sustainable development; gray systems theory; neutrosophic theory
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
In the new economic context characterized by the digitalization of the global economy, sustainable development is gaining increased attention, particularly regarding its effects on consumer behavior. The digital economy, driven by technologies such as artificial intelligence, e-commerce, blockchain, and data analytics, is reshaping the way consumers interact with products and services. At the same time, these technological advancements offer new opportunities for promoting sustainable development by enabling a more efficient use of resources, reducing waste, and fostering conscious consumerism.
With all this, the intersection between digital transformation and sustainable consumption remains underexplored. In this context, this Special Issue aims to investigate how digital technologies influence consumer behavior toward sustainability and how businesses and policymakers can leverage these trends, promoting sustainability practices.
Furthermore, a special focus will be put on the ways in which digital tools can reduce environmental impacts, create transparency in supply chains, and empower consumers to make informed, eco-conscious decisions.
Also, the digital economy offers both challenges and opportunities for sustainability: while online consumption and rapid technological advancement may contribute to resource depletion and overconsumption, new digital solutions have the potential to enhance consumer awareness, supporting sustainable production practices and the global sustainable development goals (SDGs), with a particular emphasis on SDG 12, on Responsible Consumption and Production.
This Special Issue aims to address a series of questions such as, but not limited to, the following:
- (RQ1) How does digitalization impact consumer behavior toward sustainable consumption?
- (RQ2) What is the role played by digital platforms and technologies in fostering responsible consumption and sustainability?
- (RQ3) How can the digital economy support the transition to a circular, sustainable economy while mitigating overconsumption?
Through the Special Issue, we would like to invite scholars and practitioners to contribute research that explores the interaction between digital technologies and sustainable consumption. Thus, we welcome a wide range of contributions, including empirical research, case studies, literature reviews, bibliometric analyses and conceptual papers.
Kind regards,
Prof. Dr. Corina Ioanăș
Prof. Dr. Camelia Delcea
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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
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.
Keywords
- sustainable consumption
- responsible consumption
- sustainable development
- digital economy
- digital transformation
- circular economy
- e-commerce sustainability
- sustainable development goals (SDGs)
- green consumerism
- consumer behavior
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.
