ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book discusses some of the leading scholars who study the history, theory, and practice of sustainability, and introduces students and a general readership to historical trends, core issues, and key debates in the field. It aims to become a foundational work in both the historical study of sustainability and in the many interdisciplinary "sustainability studies" programs that are now found in universities across the globe. The book provides an overview of the historiography of sustainability – that is, the way in which sustainability now constitutes an historical field. It also discusses the role of environmental sustainability in the history of Islamic thought. The book focuses on concepts, debates, and interpretations surrounding sustainability: problems with fossil-fueled economic growth, the concept of "degrowth," climate change and its human dimensions, and theoretical reconceptualizations of the concept of sustainability.
