Call for Papers - #ECESS26
The On Sustainability Research Network invites proposals for the Twenty-Third International Conference on Environmental, Cultural, Economic & Social Sustainability, to be hosted from 20 to 22 January 2027 by the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, with integrated online participation via CGScholar Event (KX).
Founded in 2005, the On Sustainability Research Network brings together a global community concerned with sustainability from a holistic perspective—where environmental systems intersect with cultural practices, economic structures, and social life. The annual conference serves as the central meeting point for scholars, practitioners, policymakers, designers, technologists, educators, and community leaders working across these interconnected fields.
The special focus of the Twenty-Third International Conference on Environmental, Cultural, Economic & Social Sustainability examines how societies imagine, design, and enact transitions toward more just and resilient futures. Across environmental governance, social movements, circular economies, climate adaptation, public policy, technological innovation, and cultural change, new forms of sustainability work are emerging—some promising, others precarious, all deeply consequential.
We invite proposals that reflect on these transformations: how communities respond to ecological disruption; how technologies reshape systems of production and care; how cultural knowledge, indigenous practices, and local priorities inform sustainable action; and how equity, justice, and participation must frame any move toward sustainable futures.
Proposals may also address the Network’s ongoing themes: Ecological Realities; Participatory Process; Economic, Social, and Cultural Context; and Education, Assessment, and Policy.
Contributions can be theoretical, empirical, methodological, practice-based, or community-engaged. We welcome interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches that confront real-world challenges and complexities.
The Twenty-Third International Conference on Environmental, Cultural, Economic & Social Sustainability is bilingual. Proposals and presentations are welcome in English or Spanish. Delegates may choose the language that best suits their work and communities, and the Event (KX) environment will indicate the language of each Presentation Page so audiences can navigate accordingly.
The conference will be held in a hybrid format, combining in-person sessions in Johannesburg with live online sessions and asynchronous presentations hosted on CGScholar.
All registered delegates—whether attending in person or online—have access to the full online program and its growing archive of presentations and discussions.
Hosted in CGScholar’s Event (KX) environment, the conference is conceived as part of an ongoing knowledge experience rather than a one-off meeting. Proposals become Presentation Pages, sessions are woven into a shared schedule, and digital media and discussion boards allow delegates to explore work before, during, and after the event. This model supports sustained, reciprocal exchange across geographies, time zones, and disciplines.
Accepted presenters are invited to develop their work for publication through the On Sustainability Journal Collection and Book Imprint. Submissions follow peer-review processes aligned with the scholarly standards of the Network. Further details on publication opportunities and submission timelines are available on the conference website.
By members, for members: membership is included in all Presenter Passes, making conference participation a meaningful way to activate and extend your membership benefits across the year. Membership supports the ongoing work of the Research Network—its conferences, journals, books, and shared digital community.
We hope you will join us—on site in Johannesburg or online—for the Twenty-Third International Conference on Environmental, Cultural, Economic & Social Sustainability.
Sincerely,
Malcolm Weaich, Conference Chair, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg
Dr David Humphreys, Network Chair, The Open University, UK
Dr Victoria Hurth, Research Network Chair, University of Cambridge, UK
Dr Phillip Kalantzis-Cope, Chief Social Scientist, Common Ground Research Networks, USA
We welcome the submission of proposals at any time of the year. The dates below serve as a guideline for proposal submission based on our corresponding registration deadlines.
Proposals will be reviewed within two to four weeks of submission.
| Early Proposal Deadline | 20 June 2026 | |
| Regular Proposal Deadline | 20 October 2026 | |
| Late Proposal Deadline | 20 December 2026 |
The digital media deadline is one week before the conference.
| Early Proposal Deadline | 20 July 2026 | |
| Regular Proposal Deadline | 20 December 2026 | |
| Late Proposal Deadline | 20 January 2027 |