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The current focus on sustainable development opens up debates surrounding our relationship with the natural world, about what constitutes social progress and about the character of development, both in the Global North and the Global South. The promotion of sustainable futures is taking on a new urgency in the context of climate change and biodiversity loss.
This concise and accessible text explores how the international community is responding to the challenge of sustainable development. It also investigates the prospect for, and barriers to, the promotion of sustainable development in high-consumption societies of the industrialised world, from the USA and the EU to the economies of transition in Eastern and Southern Asia. In Sustainable Development Baker considers the global impact of China's industrial boom as well as how Chinese investments are shaping the prospects for sustainable development on the African continent. This global coverage is balanced by investigating how local action, ranging from the transition towns movement in the UK to the Green Belt movement in Kenya, can contribute to the pursuit of sustainable development.
The second edition has been extensively revised and updated and benefits from the addition of three new chapters: sustainable development in China; the governance of sustainable development; and sustainable production and consumption. Climate change and biodiversity management have also been expanded into full chapters.
Providing an up-to-date and comprehensive treatment of the issues surrounding the promotion of sustainable development, this unique, internationally-focused book combines a strong conceptual analysis with wide ranging empirical focus and a wealth of case material. Including summary points and suggestions for further reading, as well as web resources and an extensive bibliography, it is ideal for students, scholars and researchers in the fields of environmental sciences, politics, geography, sociology and development studies.
List of contents
1. Introduction Part 1: Theoretical and Conceptual Exploration of Sustainable Development 2. The Concept of Sustainable Development 3. The Governance of Sustainable Development 4. Sustainable Production and Sustainable Consumption Part 2: International Engagement with Sustainable Development 5. Global Governance and UN Environment Summits 6. Key Global Concerns: Climate Change and Biodiversity Loss 7. The Local Level: LA21, Societal Engagement and Public Participation Part 3: The Promotion of Sustainable Development in Different Social, Political and Economic Contexts 8. High Consumption Societies: The Responsibilities of the European Union 9. Challenges in the Third World 10. Changing Times – The Countries in Transition in Eastern Europe 11. Conclusion: The Promotion of Sustainable Development: What Has Been Achieved
About the author
Susan Baker
