Sustainable AI – AI for Sustainability -

Call for Contributors and Contributions

A free, open-access reader for PR, Communication, Public Affairs and Sustainability Professionals

Edited by Prof. Dr. Ana Adi, Alexandra Morton & Thomas Stoeckle

About the Reader

As sustainability communication enters an era of heightened scrutiny, accelerating regulation, and rapid adoption of generative AI, communicators are asked to explain, justify, and govern systems that have real environmental costs (energy, carbon, water, e-waste) and equally real social and political consequences—both positive (increased cultural awareness, nuanced understanding) and negative (workforce disruption, power asymmetries, cultural flattening, bias, privacy concerns, lack of transparency).

Artificial intelligence and sustainability intersect in two main ways: making AI itself more sustainable (“sustainable AI”) and using AI as a tool to advance sustainability goals (“AI for sustainability”). The two are synergistic: robust sustainable AI practices create lower-impact tools that can be safely scaled in AI-for-sustainability solutions.

Aimed at practitioners and scholars in public relations, strategic communication, public affairs, and sustainability communication, this reader is designed as a bridge between academic insight and professional practice. We invite critical and practical contributions across both sustainable AI and AI for sustainability. Contributions can be conceptual or applied; what matters is that they help communication professionals navigate trade-offs, craft credible narratives, and build governance practices that hold up under scrutiny.

Themes of Interest (non-exhaustive)

We welcome contributions addressing—but not limited to—the following themes:

Sustainability with AI: Credibility, Transparency & Accountability

AI for climate change mitigation and adaptation (disaster communication, early warning systems)
AI in sustainable procurement, supply chain transparency, and ESG compliance
Ocean and marine conservation leveraging AI technologies
Energy transition, carbon pricing, and renewable energy optimization
Precision agriculture and sustainable food systems
Biodiversity monitoring and ecosystem management
AI-enabled scrutiny of sustainability claims and greenwashing detection

Sustainability of AI: Environmental, Social, Cultural & Political Implications

Carbon footprint, energy consumption, and water usage of AI systems
E-waste, resource extraction, and circular economy considerations
Data center sustainability and green computing practices
Social equity, accessibility, and the digital divide
Cultural sensitivity, language dominance, and epistemic bias
Labor conditions, invisible work, and the future of employment
Power asymmetries, surveillance, and algorithmic governance

Governance, Ethics & Responsible Innovation

Responsible AI governance frameworks and implementation
Digital governance, data politics, and platform regulation
Corporate accountability and AI ethics in practice
Human oversight, explainability, and algorithmic transparency
Bias, fairness, and algorithmic justice
Privacy, consent, and data protection
AI regulation as a communication challenge
Multi-stakeholder governance and civil society participation

Communication Practice & Strategic Considerations

AI in marketing, brand communication, and reputation management
Crisis communication and risk management with AI
Stakeholder engagement and public consultation on AI
Legitimacy, trust, and license to operate
Corporate political communication around AI and sustainability policy
Communicating AI literacy and building organizational capacity
Narrative strategies for sustainable AI adoption
Regional and cultural perspectives on AI and sustainability (Latin American, Eastern European, African, Asian contexts)

Sectoral Applications & Cross-cutting Issues

AI in public health, pandemic response, and healthcare sustainability
Education, digital literacy, and capacity building
Financial services, sustainable finance, and ESG reporting
Manufacturing, Industry 4.0, and circular economy
Urban planning, smart cities, and sustainable infrastructure
Public sector innovation and AI-enabled government services
Human-machine collaboration and augmented decision-making

Contribution Formats

Essays (1,500–3,000 words): conceptual, integrative, or reflective pieces
Opinion / Provocations (1,000–1,800 words): normative or dissenting perspectives
Research Updates (1,500–2,500 words): early findings, frameworks, or methods-in-progress
Practice Notes / Mini-Cases (800–1,200 words): applied insights and lessons learned

Timeline (tentative)

Expression of interest / short proposal (250–500 words): March 20, 2026
Notification of acceptance: April 13, 2026
Full manuscript submission: May 25, 2026
Editorial feedback (if required): June 26, 2026
Final submission: August 17, 2026
Online publication and launch: September 2026 (ideally close to Germany’s flagship Kommunikations Kongress date)

Review Process

All submissions will undergo a light-touch editorial review designed to ensure relevance, clarity, and credibility while preserving authorial voice:

Initial screening by editors for thematic fit
Optional editorial feedback and revisions
No anonymous peer review: transparency and dialogue are encouraged
Final editorial decision by the editors

Publication Model & Author Rights

This reader will be published online, free to access and share, under a Creative Commons Attribution license (CC BY). Contributions therefore will not be paid. We believe that knowledge—particularly on topics as critical as AI and sustainability—should not sit behind paywalls but rather fuel global conversation and informed action as well as support research all over the world.

Authors (not editors or publisher) retain copyright and may republish their contributions elsewhere, provided they cite this volume as the original publication. Each contribution will be assigned a DOI for citability, and the volume will receive an ISBN.

Submission Details

Proposals should include:

Short abstract (250–500 words)
Author bio (100–150 words)
Institutional affiliation and contact details

Please send your proposal using the contact page or reaching out via LinkedIn

About the Editors

Prof. Dr. Ana Adi (www.anaadi.net) is Professor of Public Relations and Corporate Communication at Quadriga University of Applied Sciences, Berlin. Her research and practice focus on strategic communication, sustainability, activism, AI, and the future of the profession. She is the editor of previous open-access readers on Corporate Activism, Women in PR, and Artificial Intelligence in PR.

Thomas Stoeckle is a recovering business executive in the communication intelligence and consultancy space. Forever curious, critical and skeptical, late-blooming academic. Deep interest in the history, present and future of public communication.

Alexandra Morton is a sustainability strategist, consultant, and educator in sustainability communication, ESG governance, and supply-chain transformation. She supports organizations in turning sustainability ambition into measurable action, helping teams design strategies, governance, and value-chain initiatives that reduce climate impact. She teaches in MBA and certificate programs at Quadriga University of Applied Sciences, Berlin.