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Following the 2015 Paris Agreement, the main challenge for world economies nowadays is to commit themselves to long-term reforms aimed at increasing and promoting sustainable, inclusive and balanced development. An adequate response to this challenge will certainly require using the best available scientific knowledge and constant re-evaluation of the development process in light of the scientific findings. To ensure that the sciences are responsive to the emerging needs and to address sustainable development issues. This Virtual Special Issue of the Journal of Cleaner Production is dedicated to both Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems 2016 Conferences – 2nd South East European Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems Conference and 11th Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems Conference. The Virtual Special Issue is focused on four main fields: Energy issues, Water issues, Environmental engineering and management, and Sustainable engineering solutions and large-scale sustainability approaches. The division of selected papers follows the previous Journal of Cleaner Production Special Sections and Volumes dedicated to the Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems Conference series. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to climate change concerns, various environmental stresses and social inequality among the people, the welfare of mankind is increasingly being viewed through the prism of sustainable development. Sustainable development is a highly multi-disciplinary field of research that has been extensively studied during last two decades. Therefore, from the beginning of the 21st century, a series of Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems (SDEWES) Conferences were founded to address sustainable development issues. This Journal of Cleaner Production Special Volume (SV) is dedicated to the 10th SDEWES Conference. The SV is focused on three main fields that are of strategic importance to sustainable development: energy issues, water issues, and environmental engineering and management. The division of selected papers according to the named research fields was established following the previous Journal of Cleaner Production Special Sections and Volumes dedicated to the SDEWES Conferences. Therefore, this Special Volume builds upon the previously generated SDEWES knowledge base. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the main issues of the coming decades is to improve resource efficiencies by integrating various life supporting systems, using waste from one, as resource in other, and in exact moment when it is beneficial to all. The challenge is on the electricity, heating, cooling, transport, water, buildings, industry, forestry and agriculture systems to integrate and become more sustainable. Since the sustainable development depends more and more on the holistic approach on the integration of energy, water and environment systems, from the beginning of the 21st century, a series of Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems (SDEWES) Conferences has been founded to cover these issues. The background of this Special Section of the Journal of Cleaner Production is therefore the Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems dedicated to both SDEWES 2014 Conferences – 1st South East European SDEWES Conference and 9th SDEWES Conference. The Special Section focuses on scientists, researchers, policy makers, educators, general public and practitioners in various branches of industry including the energy and water & wastewater sectors and environmental services. The purpose of this Special Section is to increase public awareness of key issues of sustainable development and to stimulate exchange of research results, practical experience and novel ideas among actors involved in investigating, planning and implementing sustainable development. The Special Section is focused upon four main fields that are of strategic importance to the sustainable development: Energy issues; Water issues; Environmental engineering and management; Sustainability approaches and promotion of sustainability concepts. The division of selected papers according to the named research fields has been established by the previous Journal of Cleaner Production Special Sections and Volumes dedicated to the SDEWES 2013 Conference. Hence, this Special Section is an extension of the previously generated SDEWES knowledge base in these four main research areas. As sustainable development is improving piecewise, so although it is necessary to see the big picture, actual technological improvement is one aspect of the technology systems. It has been shown that the sustainability can be improved by improving certain systems taking care of holistic sustainability criteria or integrating various systems in a way to improve the efficiency or resource efficiency of the combined system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]