As demonstrated in the Sustainable Development Goals, the three main pillars of sustainability are environment, economy, and society. For achieving social and economic sustainability, environmental sustainability is a prerequisite. However, the Earth system is on the edge of crossing the thresholds that will trigger non-linear, abrupt environmental change and result in deleterious or even catastrophic consequences. Recent evidence indicates that humanity has transgressed six planetary boundaries, including climate change and biosphere integrity. While the total anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions continue to reach a new peak in 2023, biodiversity loss is happening at an unprecedented rate, with an average 69% decline in wildlife populations since 1970. As climate change and biodiversity loss are mainly anthropogenic-induced, these environmental issues have to be and can only be solved by humans. Sole technological transformation and innovation are largely insufficient for solving the environmental problems, but social transitions are also required. Humans’ underpinning value systems, goals, beliefs, and worldviews need to be changed to leverage the sustainability transformation within the human society, as they define how humans interact with nature, generate knowledge and technologies, and utilize natural and artificial resources. Therefore, the humanistic values of this era demand the inclusion of environmental sustainability, and building an eco-surplus culture is essential for the social transition away from eco-deficit dystopia. In contributing to the generation of knowledge that aids the social transitions toward an eco-surplus utopia, the Topical Collection welcomes viewpoints, reviews, and theoretical and empirical work that are related but not limited to these issues:

• Socio-cultural and economic issues that help mitigate and adapt to climate change and prevent biodiversity loss

• Socio-cultural and economic issues that support the development and implementation of nature-based solutions and artificial technologies for achieving environmental sustainability

• Factors that help restore the connection between nature and humans, such as science, art, literature, and lived experiences

• The psychology towards climate change, biodiversity loss, social transition, and technological transformation

• The roles of creativity, serendipity, and knowledge management in sustainability transformation

• Sustainable financing mechanism for climate change mitigation and adaptation as well as biodiversity conservation

• The roles of urban and rural humans in addressing climate change and biodiversity loss

• Global agreement, national commitments, and local actions for addressing climate change and biodiversity loss

This Collection supports and amplifies research related to SDG Goals.

Keywords: Nature-human nexus; environmental degradation; climate change; biodiversity loss; community science; citizen science; artificial intelligence; technology; innovations; knowledge management; humanities; adaptation and mitigation; conservation; finance

This topical collection expects to study the growing relationship between Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), regional development strategies, and the advancement of green economies in a dynamic global landscape. As we transition into the next sustainability phase, this collection explores innovative approaches to achieving SDGs, fostering sustainable regional development, and supporting green economic initiatives. Highlighting multidisciplinary research, it emphasizes the integration of policy, technology, and community engagement in driving sustainable futures. This second iteration, “2.0,” builds on the lessons learned, stretching the boundaries of sustainable practices to create more resilient, inclusive, and environmentally friendly economies.

Keywords:Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Regional development, Green economies, Sustainable growth, Circular economy, Policy integration, Innovation and technology, Resilience and sustainability, Community engagement, Environmental governance

This Collection supports and amplifies research related to SDG 7, SDG 8, SDG 9, SDG 11, SDG 12, SDG 13, SDG 15, and SDG 17.