Sustainability governance: here are the most pressing issues to be resolved

Thematic Issue No. 2 of 2025 of the Review of Studies on Sustainability, published on December 30, 2025, is dedicated to sustainability governance.
A special issue addressing one of the most pressing issues of our time: how to govern sustainable development in a world affected by systemic crises, geopolitical instability, climate change, and growing inequalities.
The issue opens with an editorial by Karlis Ketners and Vitalii Kotsur, which introduces readers to a broad and structured reflection on the role of institutions, law, and economics in building models of governance capable of ensuring long-term stability, equity, and resilience. Sustainability, the authors explain, cannot be reduced to an environmental issue: it is a multidimensional approach that requires coherent policies, adaptive institutions, and forward-looking economic instruments.
The thematic issue brings together international contributions that analyze sustainability governance through concrete experiences and case studies from different geographical contexts, from Central Asia to Eastern Europe, to broader global scenarios. The articles show how sectors traditionally considered critical from an environmental point of view, such as the oil industry, can become the subject of transformation strategies geared towards economic diversification, human capital development, and social resilience.
Ample space is also devoted to issues of social and institutional sustainability. Some contributions examine the resilience of welfare and social security systems in contexts marked by demographic change and economic pressures, while others analyze the role of legal frameworks in combating corruption, protecting the rule of law, and strengthening public institutions. The quality of governance thus emerges as a decisive factor in ensuring social trust, political stability, and equitable development.
The issue also explores the capacity of governance systems to respond to crises, through comparative analyses of emergency management, disaster prevention policies, and the importance of long-term planning. There are also reflections on the role of public-private partnerships in sustainable infrastructure development, diplomacy as a tool for regional cooperation, and mediation as a key practice for conflict resolution.
Finally, particular attention is paid to education and training, recognized as strategic levers for building leadership, innovation, and institutional capacity, especially in post-conflict and reconstruction contexts.
Please note that the Review of Studies on Sustainability is available in open access mode, promoting the dissemination of knowledge and dialogue between research, institutions, and civil society.
👉 The second issue of the magazine is available on the Franco Angeli website. Click here to read it!
Enjoy!