ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book describes a choice has been made: to provide a snapshot of the different dimensions of sustainability, while analysing how these dimensions interact in a specific contextual narrative, using selected emerging economies and case studies. It introduces the context of sustainable development as being a dynamic process focused on five specific narratives: environmental, social, cultural, institutional, and the economic imperative which brings all of this together. The book addresses multinational enterprises and the issues of liability of foreignness they face when they operate in foreign markets. It explores instead China’s involvement with emerging economies in a dimension of South–South development in infrastructure since the 2000s. The book discusses how social investment funds could serve as a model for commercial success, examining the prospects and challenges for small-to-medium enterprise finance in developing countries.
