Sustainability

Everyone is talking about sustainability, yet its concrete meaning and consequences are often unclear. This handbook explains how global goals, climate change, and policy in the UN, EU 27, Germany, US, and UK fit together and shape our future. It leads the reader from core concepts and key international agreements through a concise stock taking and long term outlook to concrete instruments for a more sustainable world. The handbook focuses on the real impact of global and European measures on economies, societies, and the planet. The role of Germany, the US, and the UK is presented in each case. Prof. Fieber assesses the achievements of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement. The countries responsible for global warming are identified and their contributions to improving the situation are compared. In addition, the advantages of liberal democracy over autocracy for achieving greater sustainability in one's own country and worldwide are a subject of this book. The author´s aim is to sharpen reader´s awareness of the necessity for climate action while showing that ambitious sustainability policy can secure stable ecological, social, and economic foundations for future generations. It should also be made clear that every individual can contribute to greater sustainability. Taken together, government policy and these personal contributions can bring about a significant improvement in sustainability worldwide.