Reconstructing Sustainability Science : Knowledge and action for a sustainable future

Sustainability science is an interdisciplinary, problem-driven field that seeks to address fundamental questions on human-environment interactions. This book repositions sustainability science as a "science of design"—that is, a normative science of what ought to be in order to achieve certain goals—rather than a science of what is. It develops a foundation for a sustainability science that is solutions-oriented, aiming to enrich public reasoning and deliberation while also working to generate social and technological innovations for a more sustainable future. It provides an essential understanding of the complex relationship between science, social change and the normative dimensions of sustainability.

The growing urgency, complexity and "wickedness" of sustainability problems—from climate change and biodiversity loss to ecosystem degradation and persistent poverty and inequality—present fundamental challenges to scientific knowledge production and its use. While there is little doubt that science has a crucial role to play in our ability to pursue sustainability goals, critical questions remain as to how to most effectively organize research and connect it to actions that advance social and natural wellbeing.

Drawing on interviews with leading sustainability scientists, this book examines how researchers in the emerging, interdisciplinary field of sustainability science are attempting to define sustainability, establish research agendas, and link the knowledge they produce to societal action. Pairing these insights with case studies of innovative sustainability research centres, the book reformulates the sustainability science research agenda and its relationship to decision-making and social action. It repositions the field as a "science of design" that aims to enrich public reasoning and deliberation while also working to generate social and technological innovations for a more sustainable future.　

This timely book gives students, researchers and practitioners a valuable and unique analysis of the emergence of sustainability science, and both the opportunities and barriers faced by scientific efforts to contribute to social action.