The question of sustainability affects most areas of human activity. It is intrinsically complex and multi-disciplinary. Sustainable policies have to adapt to new knowledge and changing circumstances. Understanding sustainability and ways of achieving it have to involve an understanding of complex adaptive systems and general systems theory - a rapidly developing new branch of social studies. This book provides an introduction and thorough explanation of this field, and shows its application in the social and economic management of sustainability. It is written for readers at an undergraduate level and should be useful for a wide range of undergraduate courses.

Table of Contents

General systems theory; complex adaptive systems; environmental factors; eco-system economics; integrating economic and environmental factors; economic policy instruments; discounting and investment; levels of sustainability; financing the transition; economic development and the environment; sociocultural factors; a systems approach to managing sustainability; assessing sustainability.