Forums / Events

Forums and events sponsored by the MDPI Sustainability Foundation and organized by MDPI.

World Sustainability Forum

The World Sustainability Forum (WSF) is a scholarly conference series partially sponsored by the MDPI Sustainability Foundation and organized by MDPI. The forum aims to be a platform for researchers to present and engage with research-relevant stakeholders on questions, issues and challenges regarding sustainability. We seek to contribute to policy-relevant, change-oriented, and transdisciplinary research from, and collaboration with, science and technology, the life sciences, and the social sciences.

Held for the first time in 2011, the WSF covers research in a variety of fields that are closely related to sustainability and sustainable development, including:

  • Environmental Sustainability
  • Economic Sustainability
  • Social Sustainability
  • Renewable Energy Self-Sustainability
  • Energy Return-on-Investment
  • Governance and Sustainability
  • Sustainability Assessment and Policies
  • Remote Sensing for Sustainable Management of Land and Biodiversity

From 2025 onwards, the World Sustainability Forum (WSF) will be held annually. The 12th World Sustainability Forum (Sustainable and Resilient Cities) will take place in Hong Kong, China, in 2026, chaired by Prof. Vivien Lu (Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Hong Kong, China). The forum will explore pressing themes including sustainable urban planning, the circular economy, renewable energy and grid modernization, climate adaptation, low-carbon mobility, and equitable green transitions.

Upcoming Editions

12th World Sustainability Forum
12th World Sustainability Forum

21–24 August 2026, Hong Kong, China

Past Editions

Local Sustainability Forums

The WSF local forums are locally held, physical one-day conferences organized by MDPI and the respective local partners, that are partially sponsored the MDPI Sustainability Foundation. Similar to the World Sustainability Forum, the local forums are dedicated to expanding knowledge of sustainability in all its facets and seek to contribute to policy-relevant, change-oriented, and transdisciplinary research and collaboration between science and technology, the life sciences, and the social sciences. Specifically, the SF local fora aim to provide researchers, stakeholders, as well as the general public with a local platform for exchange on a designated issue regarding sustainability.

Sustainable Publishing Forums

The Sustainable Publishing Forum (可持续出版论坛) and Basel Sustainable Publishing Forum are two related series of events organized by MDPI and the MDPI Sustainability Foundation. These forums aim to provide a platform for researchers, publishers, and other stakeholders to discuss the future of scholarly publishing and to explore sustainable solutions to open access.

Past Editions