Finding sustainable solutions to supply future generations with energy, water, food and a peaceful environment is a key challenge. We understand today that the issues we face with energy and the environment are complex and include much more than emission reduction and the shift from fossils to renewables. Integrated assessments and conductive concepts are needed that include all aspects of sustainability as well as society.

Many researchers work hard to progress understanding by modeling and analyzing case studies all over the world. Making this research accessible to the broader public is key for the intended and ongoing transformation to a sustainable society.

Open access peer review publication can support this in a transparent, trustable and democratic way. It is therefore important that the rules for data quality and traceability, for trust in the editors and in the peer review process are clearly defined and realized in the day-to-day life of a journal.

I first started working on open access publications three years ago. I am very impressed by the consistent quality of the papers, the living debate about the results in related social networks and also in the increasing interest in open access, which I can understand as an author.

The progress in spreading the latest results of research to the wider public through open access is dramatic, which makes the foundation of international researcher collaboration much easier. It is an unbelievable chance to educate students fairly and equally all over the world – independent from study fees and university budgets. We should not underestimate this effect for the necessary progress in sustainability transformation.