Release Date: March 2015
The Age of Sustainable Development explains the central concept for our age, which is both a way of understanding the world and a method for solving global problems – sustainable development. Sustainable development tries to make sense of the interactions of three complex systems: the world economy, the global society, and the Earth’s physical environment. It recommends a holistic framework, in which society aims for environmentally sustainable and socially inclusive development, underpinned by good governance. It is a way to understand the world, yet is also a normative or ethical view of the world: a way to define the objectives of a well-functioning society, one that delivers wellbeing for its citizens today and in future generations. This book describes key challenges and solutions pathways for every part of the world to be involved in problem solving, brainstorming, and determining new and creative ways to ensure inclusive and sustainable growth.
The Age of Sustainable Development explains why Sustainable Development will become the central public policy framework for our age. The 193 member states of the UN will soon adopt Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to help guide the world in the coming generation. This book offers the first comprehensive approach for this new era and for the new SDGs. The book examines the complex interactions of the economy, society, and the physical environment, and shows how a holistic strategy can help societies to achieve the combination of economic prosperity, social inclusion, and environmental sustainability. Students around the world and interested citizens will be the leaders of this new era of problem solving, and The Age of Sustainable Development will provide them with new tools for success.