ABSTRACT

Sustainability: Key Issues is a comprehensive introductory textbook for undergraduate and postgraduate students doing courses in sustainability. Highly original, it covers the very broad spectrum of ideas covered under sustainability, from participation, resilience, growth, ecological modernism through to culture, sustainable communities and sustainable consumption. Each chapter covers one key idea, and has been written by an expert in that field. This book makes key issues approachable, with each chapter containing:

  • a definition of the key concept
  • a history of how and why the issue has emerged
  • a discussion of the advantages, drawbacks, main contributions and controversies associated with this issue
  • case studies to demonstrate how it works in reality
  • critical discussion of mainstream models of sustainability and the reason why they don't work
  • introduction of beyond-the-convention alternatives, including circular economy and cradle to cradle approaches

This is the ideal book for students and anyone interested in understanding the key issues within sustainability and how they interact.

part I|69 pages

Defining sustainability

chapter |22 pages

Introduction

The emergence and development of sustainability

chapter 2|30 pages

Reconstructing the sustainability narrative

Separating myth from reality

part II|60 pages

Measuring and assessing sustainability

chapter 4|21 pages

Navigating towards sustainability

Essential aspects of assessment and indicators

part III|109 pages

Governing, business and managing sustainability

chapter 7|28 pages

The future we want

Post Rio+20 sustainable development goals and the role of education for sustainable development

chapter 8|16 pages

Sustainability 2.0

New strategies for achieving behaviour change in a more connected world

chapter 10|21 pages

Business and production solutions

Closing loops and the circular economy

part IV|88 pages

Globalization, growth and environmental change

chapter 12|20 pages

Population matters

chapter 13|14 pages

Urban sustainability

part V|48 pages

Sustainability and ethics