The concept of sustainability is used in an ever-growing number of contexts and seems to be able to refer to just about anything and everything. But what does "sustainable development" actually mean? This book offers an introduction to the concept in all its nuances and interpretations. Starting with the historical process that led to the Brundtland Report and the Rio Summit, the authors describe the idea of sustainable development and the main distinctions among the different understandings of the concept. The book also discusses examples of concrete work on sustainable development and the ways in which we may be responsible for dealing with sustainable development in our professional lives. The book offers an appreciation of the diversity of existing perspectives on sustainable development and raises the issue of what sustainable development demands of us as individuals and as a society.
