ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an historical context for the current economic, societal and environmental climate, examining the concepts of progress, economic growth, and development. The onset of agriculture, urbanization and economics are traced back to the agrarian revolution, some 10,000 years earlier. We explore the implications of change throughout human history in terms of impact on the environment and provide a detailed analysis of the impact of business activity on the environment. The importance of ecosystem services for environmental, societal and economic security are evaluated. Human, social, manufactured and natural capital are compared and contrasted. Cornucopian, cautious optimist and Malthusian positions are examined, Bearing in mind that many MBA and EMBA students may lack a scientific background, we set out the key basic principles underpinning the science of sustainability, allowing the reader to more fully interact with this topic and make clearer judgements when faced with contrasting viewpoints.
