The book takes a holistic approach to sustainability. Acknowledging the Brundtland definition, that sustainable development meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs, the book is specifically concerned with the ethics of contemporary social and environmental sustainability activity and thinking. It is concerned with the role of institutions–both local and global in achieving sustainability initiatives. All twelve chapters extend sustainability–conceptually, empirically and theoretically, and in doing so provide insights into linking local and global sustainability. The book refocuses sustainability as a series of interwoven and dynamic relationships, backed by just ethical decision-making, which begin locally, and reach out to impact the global level.

This timely and accessible book explores the links between politics, learning and sustainability. Its central focus is the future of people and the planet itself. The challenges that we face in combatting climate change and building a more sustainable world are complex and the book argues that if we are to successfully meet these challenges we need a fundamental change in the way we do politics and economics, embedding a lifelong commitment to sustainability in all learning. We have no option but to make things work for the better. After all, planet earth is the only home we have! The book will be important reading for academics and students in a variety of related subjects, including politics, public policy, education, sustainable development, geography, media, international relations and development studies. It will also be a valuable resource for NGOs and policy makers.

The importance of local programmes in driving sustainable development has been enshrined in Local Agenda 21, arguably the most influential output of the 1992 Rio 'Earth' Summit. Its importance has been reiterated more recently by the Johannesburg Summit in 2002. Local Environmental Sustainability sets the context for local environmental sustainability and, in particular, considers how local government can promote sustainable development by building partnerships with different groups and organisations in the local community. Using case studies, individual chapters focus on different types of regional and local initiatives, the partnerships that have made them possible, and the key issues in making them effective. Local Environmental Sustainability provides a blueprint for both local governments and local communities to work together effectively for a more sustainable future. An important new study focusing on the links between local environmental initiatives and the provision of sustainable services Includes case studies showing how local government initiatives can work in the community Considers the relationship between local programmes and the implementation of Local Agenda 21

A "sustainable society," according to one definition, "is one that can persist over generations; one that is far-seeing enough, flexible enough, and wise enough not to undermine either its physical or its social system of support." As the government sector works hard to ensure sufficient fresh water, food, energy, housing, health, and education for the nation without limiting resources for the future generations, it's clear that there is no sufficient organization to deal with sustainability issues. Each federal agency appears to have a single mandate or a single area of expertise making it difficult to tackle issues such as managing the ecosystem. Key resource domains, which include water, land, energy, and nonrenewable resources, for example, are nearly-completely connected yet different agencies exist to address only one aspect of these domains. The legendary ecologist John Muir wrote in 1911 that "when we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe." Thus, in order for the nation to be successful in sustaining its resources, "linkages" will need to be built among federal, state, and local governments; nongovernmental organizations (NGOs); and the private sector. The National Research Council (NRC) was asked by several federal agencies, foundations, and the private sector to provide guidance to the federal government on issues related to sustainability linkages. The NRC assigned the task to as committee with a wide range of expertise in government, academia, and business. The committee held public fact-finding meetings to hear from agencies and stakeholder groups; examined sustainability management examples; conducted extensive literature reviews; and more to address the issue. Sustainability for the Nation: Resource Connection and Governance Linkages is the committee's report on the issue. The report includes insight into high-priority areas for governance linkages, the challenges of managing connected systems, impediments to successful government linkages, and more. The report also features examples of government linkages which include Adaptive Management on the Platte River, Philadelphia's Green Stormwater Infrastructure, and Managing Land Use in the Mojave.

Collaboration between experts and the public is vital for effective community engagement aimed at improving the lives of the most vulnerable in society, whether at the local or global level. Using case-based and theoretical chapters that examine rural and urban communities of practice, this volume illustrates how participatory researchers and students, as well as policy and community leaders, find ways to engage with the broader public when it comes to global sustainability research and practice.

This book describes how local consumption, particularly in urban areas, is increasingly met by global supply chains. These supply chains often extend over large geographical distances and have greater global environmental impacts, contributing to pollution, climate change, water scarcity, and deforestation. As consumption is increasingly met by globalized supply chains, causing social, economic, and environmental impacts elsewhere, consumption decisions can unknowingly contribute and reinforce global inequality and exploitation. To account for the impacts of consumption and distribution of wealth we need to analyze global supply and value chains. In this volume, the authors provide an overview of key methods of analysis, including Multi-Regional Input-Output analysis and Life Cycle Assessment. Subsequent chapters connect local consumption to the global consequences of different environmental issues, such as water and land use and stress, greenhouse gases emissions, and other forms of air pollution. Each issue is addressed in an individual chapter, including case studies from China, U.S. and UK. The book will be key reading for students taking courses in environmental sciences, sustainability sciences, ecological economies, and geography.

This book analyses various aspects of social responsibility, corporate responsibility, sustainability and governance. Rather than focusing narrowly on a single perspective, it investigates a number of problems and scenarios that can all be considered an aspect of one of these fields, and shows how they are all related to each other and to the problems and issues facing businesses. This approach is based on the tradition of the Social Responsibility Research Network, which in its 15-year history has sought to broaden the discourse and to treat all research in these areas as inter-related and relevant to business. The book collects the best papers presented at the 15th International Conference on Corporate Social Responsibility and 6th Organisational Governance Conference held in Melbourne, Australia in September 2016.