ABSTRACT

The development of sustainable wellbeing requires that market functioning should be corrected by new public policies and enhanced awareness of key challenges ahead of us, among others the decarbonisation of our societies by 2050, the achievement of a zero-waste circular economy, the improvement of the overall quality of seas and oceans, and the reversal of biodiversity losses. This chapter also provides an overview on the key concepts discussed in this book. The book provides a very rich and diversified picture of the issues associated with economics and political economy, framed as social sciences. It enriches the economics-oriented discussion and establishes a dialogue with urban planners, policymakers, and industrial ecologists. The book addresses the loss of biodiversity, which is a paramount global policy challenge. It illustrates possible ways of achieving an innovative and equitable sustainable society by analysing the features of specific policies and the governance level of application.