Journal of Environmental Policy & Planning

Journal of Environmental Policy & Planning is published by Taylor & Francis and is in Zone 3 of Sociology in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Sustainability and Climate Change Governance, Social Acceptance of Renewable Energy and Policy Transfer and Learning, together about 32.6% of its articles. Its main subfields are Global and Planetary Change. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)

The Journal of Environmental Policy & Planning is an international journal that provides a forum for the critical analysis of environmental policy and planning. It explores the environmental dimensions of common policies such as spatial planning (urban, rural and marine), natural resource management, agriculture and food, fisheries, water, energy and transport, all stages in the policy and planning processes from formulation to implementation, and the interactions between governments and markets, the strategies of non-governmental organizations and business in relation to the environment, natural resources and land-use. The Journal invites original papers applying approaches from the political and social sciences, political economy, human geography, planning and cultural studies. Papers addressing any of the following areas are of particular interest: Theoretically guided studies that enhance the understanding of the environmental policy process; Analyses of environmental governance at different spatial levels; Research into political and planning responses to particular environmental problems, on a global, regional or local scale; Contributions on policy instruments, environmental management and environmental and sustainability assessment techniques; Comparative studies and evaluations of cross-national learning and policy development. The Journal publishes papers that critically engage with theories and analytical approaches which can be applied in environmental policy or planning studies and thus contribute to broader debates. Descriptive narratives, case studies and analyses not engaging with such theories and debates are usually not considered for publication. The Journal is keen to promote inter-disciplinary social science perspectives on both the theory and methodology for analyzing contemporary environmental issues. Peer Review Statement Journal of Environmental Policy & Planning is an international, ranked, peer-reviewed journal that publishes original research contributions to scientific knowledge. All submitted manuscripts are subject to initial appraisal by the Editors, and, if found suitable for further consideration, to peer review by independent, anonymous expert referees. All peer review is double anonymized and submission is online via ScholarOne.

From the journal's Aims & Scope

Research area (LetPub): Multiple

Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named Germany 2, Hong Kong, China 1, United Kingdom 1, Netherlands 1 (5 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website · 2026-09-30

CAS Journal Ranking

JCR / CiteScore quartiles on the journal's website

• JCR Q2 · best quartile · 2025
• CiteScore Q1 · 2025

Publisher-reported: JCR figures are Clarivate's and CiteScore figures Scopus's to confirm; both are a different system from the CAS zones.Publisher website

Database indexing

SSCIScopusLetPub

International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub

Indexing the journal's website claims

CAB AbstractsPublisher website

Other: CABI Abstracts on Hygiene and Communicable Diseases, AgBiotechNet, Agricultural Economics Database, Agroforestry Abstracts (Online), Animal Science Database, Biofuels Abstracts, Crop Science Database, Environmental Impact, Forest Products Abstracts, Forest Science Database, Forestry Abstracts, Global Health, Grasslands and Forage Abstracts (Online), Helminthological Abstracts (Online), Horticultural Science Database, Irrigation and Drainage Abstracts (Online), Leisure Tourism Database, Nutrition and Food Sciences Database, Parasitology Database, Plant Breeding Abstracts (Online), Plant Genetics and Breeding Database, Poultry Abstracts (Online), Review of Medical and Veterinary Entomology, Rural Development Abstracts, Soil Science Database, Soils and Fertilizers (Online), Sugar Industry Abstracts, TropAg & Rural, Tropical Diseases Bulletin

As the journal's website lists them, not checked against each database; for Web of Science editions the records above apply.

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.

Impact

Impact factor

2.86LetPub · 2026-09-13

Impact factor (publisher) 2025

3Publisher website · 2026-09-30

5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025

4Publisher website · 2026-09-30

CiteScore 2026-06

6.6LetPub · 2026-09-13

CiteScore (publisher) 2025

6.6Publisher website · 2026-09-30

SJR 2026-06

1.04LetPub · 2026-09-13

SJR (publisher) 2025

1.04Publisher website · 2026-09-30

SNIP 2026-06

1.26LetPub · 2026-09-13

SNIP (publisher) 2025

1.26Publisher website · 2026-09-30

h-index

90OpenAlex · 2026-10-01

i10-index

706OpenAlex · 2026-10-01

2-year mean citedness

3.34OpenAlex · 2026-10-01

Self-citation rate

6.7%LetPub · 2026-09-13

Share of gold OA articles

44.9%LetPub · 2026-09-13

Volume

Articles per year

67LetPub · 2026-09-13

Downloads per year (publisher)

285,000Publisher website · 2026-09-30

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.

Other sources

Acceptance rate (publisher)

12%Publisher website · 2026-09-30

Submission to first decision

39 daysPublisher website · 2026-09-30

First decision after review

131 daysPublisher website · 2026-09-30

Acceptance to publication

13 daysPublisher website · 2026-09-30

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.

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.

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.

Publisher

Taylor & Francis

ISSN

1523-908X

Electronic ISSN

1522-7200

Latest issue on the website

Volume 28, Issue 4 (2026)

Official links

• Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
• Submission system ↗Publisher website
• Special issues ↗Publisher website