Sustainability and Sustainable Development: An Introduction

The UN Sustainable Development Goals offer a cohesive and interconnected set of topics to help address the challenge of teaching an introductory course on sustainability. This textbook introduces students to sustainability structured around the 17 SDGs, with a global perspective and attention given to how sustainability challenges both high-income and low-income countries. It features an accessible writing style, comprehensive scholarship, and diverse perspectives, and is accompanied by a lush art program. The text includes learning objectives, study aids, end-of-chapter questions, and critical perspectives and expert voice boxes. It also includes interconnections boxes, key terms and concepts, understanding the issue boxes, making progress and solutions boxes, and SDGs and the Law boxes.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 592 pages
Publication date: 23 February 2023
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

The challenge in teaching an introductory course on sustainability is immense, as there are numerous ways to approach and cover the vast array of issues involved. To address this, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide a cohesive and interconnected framework that offers a comprehensive set of topics to facilitate the teaching of sustainability. Indeed, the SDGs have become the guiding framework for planning and implementing sustainability efforts until 2030, and they have gained international recognition as the focal point of international development initiatives. Moreover, the SDGs serve as the universal language of sustainability, fostering a consensus on what sustainability encompasses globally.

As such, the SDGs present an ideal framework for an introductory-level textbook, as they seamlessly integrate the "Three Es" – environment, economic development, and equity – that constitute the core definition of sustainability. This textbook introduces students to sustainability through the lens of the 17 SDGs, providing a global perspective that equally considers the challenges faced by high-income countries in the Global North and by moderate- and low-income countries in the Global South. By synthesizing fundamental environmental science, policy, and interdisciplinary perspectives, Benton-Short explores key challenges to developing a more sustainable future within the SDG framework.

The book adopts an accessible writing style, drawing from comprehensive scholarship and diverse perspectives to engage students in this complex subject matter. A rich art program, featuring numerous maps, figures, and photos, enhances the presentation, making the material more visually appealing and conducive to learning. Through a series of case studies and boxes, students are equipped to grapple with the multifaceted environmental, social, economic, and political challenges associated with sustainability in the twenty-first century.

By adopting the SDG framework, this textbook prepares global citizens to address the pressing sustainability challenges of our time and contribute to a more sustainable and equitable future. It serves as a valuable resource for educators, students, and anyone interested in learning more about sustainability and its role in shaping a better world.

Weight: 912g
Dimension: 249 x 179 x 21 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781538135365