Dear readers,
We are thrilled to usher in a new era with the inauguration of Sustainability & Circularity NOW, a pioneering journal brought to you by our dedicated team at Thieme. This moment
is not just a new beginning; it is an opportunity to shape the future. Our planet
faces an unprecedented set of environmental challenges. From the critical need to
combat climate change and pollution to the urgency of conserving biodiversity and
ensuring responsible resource consumption, the task at hand is momentous. The United
Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) serve as our global compass, guiding
our efforts toward a more sustainable and circular future (https://sdgs.un.org/goals).
Sustainability & Circularity NOW has been established to break down the silos of traditional scientific disciplines
and provide an inclusive space for researchers worldwide. We believe that solutions
to the complex challenges of our time require multidisciplinary collaboration, innovative
thinking, and an ambitious drive for positive change. Our vision for this journal
is to be a hub for diverse research topics, focusing on solutions to improve existing
molecules, materials, and industrial processes as well as revolutionary discoveries
of new, more sustainable molecules, materials, and synthetic procedures. The journal
will publish studies on the recovery of building blocks from waste, improvement of
existing recycling technologies to make recycling easier and more efficient, clean
energy, and much more. Life cycle assessment studies and case studies to foster public
and policy debate will also be reported in this journal. Sustainability & Circularity NOW is the perfect platform for bright minds to share their most revolutionary research
in the field of chemical science and beyond.
To fully focus on sustainability and circularity, it is important to design both products
(chemical structure) and processes (synthesis) to be efficient, safe, and circular
[1]. Chemistries and chemicals should prioritize efficiency, minimizing resource and
energy usage while employing precise quantities necessary for their intended purposes.
Safety is paramount, necessitating formulations that are harmless to human health
and the environment, averting the creation of harmful, long-lasting, and mobile substances.
Production processes should strive to curtail or eliminate hazardous materials. Embracing
circular principles akin to natural cycles is crucial, facilitating closed-loop systems
for the retrieval and reutilization of valuable products and waste materials. The
principles of Green Chemistry, Circular Chemistry, and Safe and Sustainable-by-Design
must collectively guide chemical practices for meaningful contributions toward sustainability.
Sustainability & Circularity NOW is among the first journals with an explicit focus on the importance of circularity
for future synthetic and manufacturing developments. Circularity and, within that
framework, circular chemistry concern the design of processes to valorize waste streams
as feedstocks and to maximize process, resource, and energy efficiency. Such concepts
are prerequisites to developing a closed-loop, waste-free chemical industry and a
truly circular economy [2].
We invite contributions that broaden our horizons, from groundbreaking discoveries
and novel materials to in-depth analyses that enhance our understanding of environmental
processes and circular economy mechanisms. Whether your work focuses on technology
development, sustainability analysis, or innovative solutions for the SDGs, Sustainability & Circularity NOW welcomes your research with open arms.
As a publication by Thieme, we stand on the solid foundation of a respected institution
with a tradition of excellence in scientific publishing. We are proud to be the first
fully Gold Open Access journal in the field of sustainability and circularity. In
an age marked by digital transformation and global challenges, we understand the importance
of accessible, peer-reviewed research.
Our editorial team is devoted to providing you with a seamless publishing experience.
We have assembled a remarkable group of Associate Editors who will oversee the peer-review
process and guide the strategic direction of the journal. Our mission is to serve
you, the research community, and we look forward to your submissions and contributions.
Sustainability & Circularity NOW generally uses Select Crowd Review for reviewing manuscripts. For crowd reviewing,
we are constantly looking for new, highly motivated crowd members. Please contact
SusCircNOW@thieme.de if you would like to become a member of the crowd. The Select
Crowd Review process is an interactive and safe way to improve the quality and speed
of publishing. It was first introduced for Thieme’s chemical synthesis journal SYNLETT in 2017, and it enables editors to evaluate of a manuscript within a very short time.
It has also been available for SynOpen since 2018 and now for Sustainability & Circularity NOW from 2023. Select Crowd Review uses the mechanisms of social media communication
to make the review process much faster than classical peer review and still with the
same or even better quality.
In addition to publishing with us, you can stay updated on the latest research through
our website, www.thieme.com/suscirc-now, and share these valuable insights with your colleagues and networks. We invite you
to engage in our online events, discussions, and webinars that tackle the pressing
issues of sustainability and circularity. Moreover, to keep up to date with the developments
at the journal, you can sign up to Thieme Chemistry’s Circular Chemistry newsletter
and follow us on X at @SusCircNOW.
We eagerly anticipate a journey filled with groundbreaking research, collaborative
endeavours, and impactful insights. Whether as authors, reviewers, or readers, we
welcome you to join our mission at Sustainability & Circularity NOW.
Bibliographical Record
J Chris Slootweg. Welcome to Sustainability & Circularity NOW
. Sustainability & Circularity NOW 2024; 01: a22002918.
DOI: 10.1055/a-2200-2918
