Journal profile · Environmental Sciences
GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE-HUMAN AND POLICY DIMENSIONS
ISSN 0959-3780 · eISSN 1872-9495 · Elsevier Ltd · ENGLAND · Quarterly · Founded 1990
GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE-HUMAN AND POLICY DIMENSIONS: CAS Zone 1 · Environmental Science & Ecology (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal); impact factor 8.94; hybrid open access; APC about USD 6,440; review about 256 days (submission to acceptance, publisher); community-reported acceptance: moderate (Elsevier website: 14%); 105 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE, SSCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE-HUMAN AND POLICY DIMENSIONS is published by Elsevier Ltd and is in Zone 1 of Environmental Science & Ecology in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Sustainability and Climate Change Governance, Conservation, Biodiversity, and Resource Management and Climate Change Policy and Economics, together about 24.3% of its articles. Its main subfields are Global and Planetary Change and Sociology and Political Science. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Submissions should have a significant social science contribution. This entails analysing environmental change through social science frameworks, including (but not limited to) governance studies, institutional analysis, political economy, political ecology, justice frameworks, and decision sciences, as well as modelling that interrogates assumptions, values, and societal implications. We publish scholarship in geography, political science, sociology, anthropology, STS, development studies, complex system science, climate and environmental sciences, resource management, economics, public health, socio-environmental psychology, environmental humanities, and other domains relevant to the human and policy dimensions of global environmental change.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Environmental Sciences
Editor-in-chief Petra TschakertPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 1 in mainland China (about 2%); most named United States 15, United Kingdom 11, Australia 5, South Africa 3, Canada 2 (53 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Sustainability and Climate Change GovernanceEnvironmental Science8.8%
- Conservation, Biodiversity, and Resource ManagementEnvironmental Science7.8%
- Climate Change Policy and EconomicsEconomics, Econometrics and Finance7.8%
- Climate Change, Adaptation, MigrationSocial Sciences6.7%
- Climate Change Communication and PerceptionSocial Sciences6.5%
- Climate change impacts on agricultureAgricultural and Biological Sciences6.5%
- Environmental Education and SustainabilityEnvironmental Science4.9%
- Disaster Management and ResilienceSocial Sciences4.2%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Environmental Science & Ecology Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Environmental Science & Ecology | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Environmental Sciences | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Environmental Studies | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Geography | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Environmental Science & Ecology Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Environmental Science & Ecology | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Environmental Sciences | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Environmental Studies | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Geography | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Environmental Science & Ecology Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Environmental Science & Ecology | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Environmental Sciences | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Environmental Studies | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Geography | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIESSCIScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor
- 8.94LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 9.3Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 19.2LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 19.2Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 3.28LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 2.96LetPub ·
- h-index
- 147LetPub ·
- h-index
- 301OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 2,518OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 9.2OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 2.2%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 70.38%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 91LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 3,372 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 99 | 68 | 55 |
| 2025 | 105 | 76 | 774 |
| 2024 | 120 | 88 | 2,152 |
| 2023 | 120 | 91 | 4,344 |
| 2022 | 138 | 102 | 6,809 |
| 2021 | 185 | 111 | 11,995 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
Publisher-reported review time from the journal's website
256 dayssubmission to acceptance · community reports 12–24 weeks
The publisher's own definition applies; dates from this journal's articles in the last 24 months are not available yet, so the publisher's figure is used.
Figures by source
- Average review time (community reports)
- 12–24 weeksLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- 14%LetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 17 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 122 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 256 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 10 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Double anonymous peer reviewPublisher website
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Hybrid open accessLetPub
A subscription journal in which authors can pay to publish their article open access.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 6,440 / EUR 6,020 / GBP 5,160 / JPY 798,750 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 6,210 | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
Open calls for papers2, by deadline
Publisher websiteWhat to prepare6 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Keywords
- 1–7
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 8,000 words
- Highlights
- Required
- Graphical abstract
- Optional
- Cover letter
- Required
Article types accepted7, with length limits
- original researchResearch articles present original research and are up to 8,000 words in length (including main body text, table and figure captions but not including reference…Length not stated
- perspectiveResearch articles present original research and are up to 8,000 words in length (including main body text, table and figure captions but not including reference…main text ≤ 3,000 words
- perspective articlesPerspective articles provide an opportunity for authors to present a novel or distinctive viewpoint on any subject within the journal's scope, with a strong foc…Length not stated
- research articleResearch articles present original research and are up to 8,000 words in length (including main body text, table and figure captions but not including reference…main text ≤ 8,000 words
- research articlesResearch articles present original research and are up to 8,000 words in length (including main body text, table and figure captions but not including reference…Length not stated
- reviewResearch articles present original research and are up to 8,000 words in length (including main body text, table and figure captions but not including reference…Length not stated
- viewpointResearch articles present original research and are up to 8,000 words in length (including main body text, table and figure captions but not including reference…Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Preprints
- AI use Declaration of generative AI use
Authors must declare the use of generative AI tools in the manuscript preparation process upon submission of the paper.Generative AI and AI-assisted technologies (“AI tools”) have been rapidly adopted in research and scholarly publishing, offering significant benefits while requiring clear standards for responsible and transparent use.Authors preparing a manuscript for this journal may use AI tool…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Group authorship
Group authorship refers to the attribution of an article to a defined and named group of authors whose members have contributed to the work. Examples include research consortia, clinical trial groups, collaborative networks, task forces or working groups, expert panels or consensus groups, and participatory research groups. Group authorship must be declared on the title page at submission. When av…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Declaration of competing interests
All authors must disclose any financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that could inappropriately influence or bias their work. Examples of potential competing interests include:EmploymentConsultanciesStock ownershipHonorariaPaid expert testimonyPatent applications or registrationsGrants or any other fundingAffiliation with the journal as an Editor or Advisory Board …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright License options
Authors will be offered open access user license options which will determine how you, and third parties, can reuse your open access article. We advise that you review these options and any funding body license requirements before selecting a license option.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access
We refer you to our open access information page to learn about open access options for this journal.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer review
Double anonymized peer review Model summary
This journal follows a double anonymized review process. Your submission will initially be assessed by our editors. If your submission is deemed suitable, it will typically be sent to be reviewed by a minimum of two reviewers for an independent expert assessment of the scientific quality. The decision as to whether your article is accepted or rejected for publication will be made by our editors.Re…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprints
Preprint sharingAuthors may share preprints in line with Elsevier's article sharing policy. Sharing preprints, such as on a preprint server, will not count as prior publication.We advise you to read our policy on multiple, redundant or concurrent publication. In support of Open Science, this journal offers its authors a free preprint posting service on SSRN, Elsevier’s preprint and early research …
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Elsevier Ltd
- Country or region
- ENGLAND
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Quarterly
- Founded
- 1990
- ISSN
- 0959-3780
- Electronic ISSN
- 1872-9495
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE-HUMAN AND POLICY DIMENSIONS
What CAS zone is GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE-HUMAN AND POLICY DIMENSIONS in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE-HUMAN AND POLICY DIMENSIONS is in Zone 1 of Environmental Science & Ecology, and in Zone 1 of the minor category Environmental Sciences / Environmental Studies / Geography; it is a Top journal. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 1 of Environmental Science & Ecology. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE-HUMAN AND POLICY DIMENSIONS?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 8.94; CiteScore 19.2, h-index 301.
How long does peer review take at GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE-HUMAN AND POLICY DIMENSIONS?
The publisher reports about 256 days (submission to acceptance); authors report an average review time of 12–24 weeks; the community-reported acceptance is “Moderate (Elsevier website: 14%)”. Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
What are the manuscript requirements of GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE-HUMAN AND POLICY DIMENSIONS?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: 1–7; Manuscript length: ≤ 8,000 words; Highlights: Required; Graphical abstract: Optional; Cover letter: Required. A model extracted these from the author guidelines and each was checked against the text; check the latest version on the journal's website before submitting.
Where are the editorial board members of GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE-HUMAN AND POLICY DIMENSIONS based?
Of the 53 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 1 (about 2%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (15), United Kingdom (11) and Australia (5). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE-HUMAN AND POLICY DIMENSIONS?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE-HUMAN AND POLICY DIMENSIONS is indexed in SCIE, SSCI and Scopus.
Is GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE-HUMAN AND POLICY DIMENSIONS open access, and what is the APC?
GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE-HUMAN AND POLICY DIMENSIONS is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 6,440.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, Publisher website, OpenAlex; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-25). Last updated: .