ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an analytical sketch of the multilayered context of the project. Starting from the overall evolution of culture-nature systems of human societies over millenia, the sociostructural conditions of and corresponding requirements for environmental policy development are pointed out for industrialized countries over past and future decades towards ecological sustainability. Then typical features of evolving (corporate) environmental management are summarized, and the need to substantially coordinate environmental policy and environmental management efforts is established. Finally, the contempory development of environmental management research and its conceptual orientation and tools are described.
