A truly comprehensive introduction to the topic, Understanding Sustainable Development is designed to give students on a wide range of courses an appreciation of the key concepts and theories of sustainable development.
Fully updated, the third edition includes detailed coverage of the Sustainable Development Goals and their impact on global development. Major challenges and topics are explored through a range of international case studies and media examples which maintain the ‘global to local’ structure of the previous edition.
With an extensive website and pedagogy, Understanding Sustainable Development is the most complete guide to the subject for course leaders, undergraduates and postgraduates.
List of figures
Introduction
1 Towards Sustainable Development
2 Worldviews and ethical values: towards an ecological paradigm
3 Cultural and contested understandings of science and sustainability
4 Connecting social with the environmental justice
5 Sustainable development, politics and governance
6 Conservation and sustainable development
7 Beyond the imperatives of economic growth and ‘business as usual’
8 Envisioning sustainable societies and urban areas
9 Tools, systems and innovation for sustainability
10 Communication and learning for sustainability
11 Leading the sustainability process
Bibliography
Biography
John Blewitt is the Director of the MSc Social Responsibility and Sustainability, Aston Business School, Aston University, UK.
"Understanding Sustainable Development offers a uniquely holistic and critical perspective on sustainability, emphasising the role of politics, participation, learning and leadership. It provides a much needed analysis of how these critical elements can be mobilised to promote sustainability in everyday life." – Stewart Barr, Professor of Geography, University of Exeter, UK
"Understanding Sustainable Development (now in its 3rd edition) is an essential text for undergraduate and postgraduate students but also anyone wanting to better understand this complex and challenging area that the UN Sustainable Development Goals have brought sharply into focus. John Blewitt's own deep knowledge, passion for the subject and accessible writing style provide great insights into the different social, political, economic as well as environmental perspectives of this agenda." – Carole Parkes, Special Advisor to the UN for the Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME), Chair PRME UK & Ireland, and Professor of Management, Winchester Business School, UK
"This new edition is a must for those working in sustainability-related areas to update ourselves and introduce others to this vital topic. Based around discussion of key questions which are essential for understanding sustainability, and adding ground-breaking new topics, this book keeps pace with the rapid development of this ever-moving agenda. The combination of accessible introductory explanation with critical commentary is difficult to pull off but this volume manages it with style." – Jenneth Parker, Research Director, Schumacher Institute, UK
"With the third edition of this book, John Blewitt provides an up to date, comprehensive, highly readable account of the multifaceted nature, and understanding of sustainable development. One that he likens to "a kaleidoscope of shapes, colours and patterns that change constantly as we ourselves change". The author’s personal and honest approach, and the emphasis on dialogue and on reflecting and learning to facilitate change for sustainability, contribute to making this a very valuable and terrific teaching textbook." — Paola Gazzola, Newcastle University, UK
Praise for the 2nd edition:
"Understanding Sustainable Development introduces students and professionals to the basic concepts of sustainability and leads them - step by step - to explore inherent paradoxes and complexity of social, economic and environmental issues. A must read for everybody interested in (critical) theory of economic development, sustainability, and related subjects of globalization, democracy and neoliberalism." –Helen Kopnina, The Hague University of Applied Sciences, the Netherlands
