Forums / Events

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:

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

The 13th World Sustainability Forum (WSF-13) will take place in Nice, France, from 8 to 11 June 2027, chaired by Prof. Dr. Adel Ben Youssef (Université Côte d'Azur, France). The forum will bring together researchers, policymakers and practitioners across the natural sciences, engineering and social sciences to address key sustainability challenges, including energy, biodiversity, water, the circular economy, food, mobility, education and green finance. WSF-13 will also host the annual awards of the MDPI Sustainability Foundation.

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.