ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book explains an overview of the concept of sustainable development from a systems viewpoint, with a particular focus on housing, nutrition and mobility. Sustainable development has become a lingua franca for politicians and environmentalists, but the concept remains vague for many business people. The book focuses on the issues surrounding sustainable consumption—a much more complex debate than that related to green consumerism and niche green products. It discusses the differences between the terminologies used in Sustainable Solutions and provides some ideas about the incorporation of broader environmental, economic, social and ethical issues into product development. The book deals with the argument that the need to create sustainable value may require such radical change that it should be compared with the Industrial Revolution.
