Smart energy demand for the sustainable development of energy, water and environment systems

Grounded in the idea of meeting the needs of generations across time, sustainable development bears a close relationship to the way in which humanity consumes energy. Nevertheless, the historic notion that energy demand growth reflects improved living standards, economic development and prosperity are challenged when sustainability constraints and the impact on climate change are considered. As a result, a growing body of scientific research is exploring how energy demand can contribute to the energy transition instead of placing it in peril, by means of greater efficiency, digitalization, connectivity and a holistic approach to planning and management. Over the years, the Conference on Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems (SDEWES) has acted as a forum for scientific discourse in this field, shedding light on nuanced discussions and challenging siloed thinking. This special issue contains a selection of four papers that are focused on smart energy demand, demand response and decarbonization, presented at the 2021 SDEWES Conference (16^th SDEWES Conference held in Dubrovnik, Croatia).