Scope
Nature Sustainability publishes research on the natural, social, and engineered systems that underpin sustainable development, including climate, biodiversity, food, energy, water, and urban dynamics. The journal focuses on interdisciplinary studies that connect environmental change with policy, governance, and human well-being, integrating quantitative analysis, scenario modeling, and case studies relevant to the Sustainable Development Goals.
What it costs to publish
Reported: Optional open access: USD 12,850
Charges differ by publication route. Subscription is not open access; the APC does not include every possible extra charge.
USD 12,850
Source-linked report, not independently confirmed. Research notes (English): Primary research only. Also listed as 9390 GBP and 10850 EUR. Price is normally taken at acceptance. Non-primary articles are ineligible for gold OA.
Basis / unit: article. Tax terms (source language): VAT or local taxes added where applicable. Pricing FAQ says most journals add an administrative surcharge of 50 GBP / 75 USD / 55 EUR when payment is not by credit card; the FAQ does not name this title.
No charge reported for this route
Source-linked report, not independently confirmed. Research notes (English): Traditional route for primary research. Non-primary articles (reviews, comments, news and views) are published only on this route. ISSN 2398-9629 online.
Basis / unit: article. Tax terms (source language): No APC on this route.
Not established
Research notes (English): Publishing-options page does not itemize page or color charges. The pricing FAQ says hybrid page and color charges vary by journal and must be checked in the instructions. No public request path for an unfunded author outside the geographic fund.
No agreement found
None of the agreements we track covers this journal.
Check before submitting: eligibility depends on your institution, the corresponding author and the article type.
APC, page charges, over-length, S2O: what each one means
- APC
- Article processing charge: a fee per article to publish it open access. It is not the whole cost.
- Page charges
- A fee per printed or typeset page. It can apply with or without an APC.
- Over-length
- Pages beyond a length limit, billed at a different rate. Each page pays one rate, never both.
- S2O
- Subscribe to Open: subscribers keep the journal free to read, decided year by year. Page charges can still apply.
- Agreement
- A deal between an institution or country and a publisher that may cover the APC. Never automatic.
No funds to pay?
Research checked: 2026-10-13Waivers and funding: eligibility is not guaranteed.
- Source-linked policyResearch notes (English), not independently confirmed: Corresponding authors in the locations enumerated on the Springer Nature journal pricing FAQ (World Bank low-income and lower-middle-income locations listed there). This is a geographic fund, not a determination for any individual author and not a general lack-of-funds scheme. After acceptance in principle the journal contacts the corresponding author. The provision is reviewed at the end of 2026. Journal-initiated contact; the FAQ does not give a public author email or form for this fund. Gold OA APC for primary research accepted in principle. Non-primary article types; authors outside the published location list; the standard statement that APC waivers are not offered for hybrid OA otherwise.Publisher policy ↗
Read the publisher terms before submitting. Source-linked research is not a personal quotation or confirmed eligibility.