Actioning the Global Goals for Local Impact : Towards Sustainability Science, Policy, Education and Practice

This book highlights the value of sustainability science in newly emerging and innovative approaches to research, education, capacity building and practice in order to transform rhetoric into impact sustainability. Presenting case studies from various industries, sectors and geographical contexts targeting the seventeen (Sustainable development Goals (SDGs) outlined in the 2030 Agenda, it provides insightful recommendations to create sustainable impact while at the same time achieving the global goals. 

The book addresses the fundamental question of how sustainability rehtoric can be transformed into impact sustainability research, education and capacity building and as a result, how existing approaches in science, curricula and practice are mitigating the demands emerging from addressing global sustainable development in an impactful and innovative manner. Providing recommendations for impact sustainability in science, curriculum on how to address pressing sustainability issues and contribute toward achieving the SDGs, this book is an essential reference for both academics and professionals. 

Isabel B. Franco, PhD, is an international leader in sustainability science, policy and practice interested in exploring the role of industry in fostering sustainable, inclusive development. She does this through the development, refinement and application of sustainability assessment, methods and techniques. She has applied those tools to various industries such as extractives (mining, oil and gas), higher education, finance and banking, public sector and international development in Australia, Japan, Thailand, Colombia, Chile, Bolivia, Angola and Zambia. She has been an international advisor for various international organisations, namely, UNDP, UNESCAP, UNU and British Council. She has authored various peerreviewed publications and has co-authored UN Books Socially Responsible Business: A Model for a Sustainable Futureand The Corporate Agenda of Sustainable Development. With a PhD in Governance and Sustainability from the University of Queensland, Australia, she has managed large multilingual research and consulting projects globally. She has also held academic appointments at the United Nations University – Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability (Japan), Keio University (Japan), The University of Queensland (Australia), University of Zambia (Zambia) and Universidad Nacional de Colombia (Colombia). She is the Founder of eWisely (Exceptional Women in Sustainability), the fastestgrowing connector of women in sustainability, globally. Her work can be consulted on her Lab DrIsabelFranco.com.

Tathagata Chatterji is a Professor of Urban Management and Governance at Xavier University, Bhubaneswar. His research interests are: urban sustainability and the political economy of urbanization in developing countries. He had authored two books – Local Mediation of Global Forces in Transformation of the Urban Fringe and Citadels of Glass – India’s New Suburban Landscape. He received the Gerd Albers Award from the ISOCARP for his research on comparative governance. He graduated in Architecture from Calcutta University, holds a postgraduate qualification in Urban Design from Kent State University, and a PhD in Urban Governance and Planning from the University of Queensland. He is a member of the Planning Institute of Australia and a Fellow of the Institute of Urban Designers. 

Ellen Derbyshire is a research analyst with an academic background in Business and Sustainability at the University of Queensland, Australia. Currently, she is a Research Fellow at the Secretary of Mining Antioquia, Colombia. She holds a Bachelor of International Relations, Public Policy and Spanish from the University of Queensland and has worked on several research projects with the United Nations Economic Social Commission Asia Pacific. Her key areas of research are: gender and youth empowerment, strategy for sustainable business, sustainable resource governance and education for sustainable development. Ellen is a member of the Australian Institute of International Affairs and the Centre for Feminist Foreign Policy. 

James Tracey is a research analyst with an academic background in Environmental Engineering at the University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. James has also worked extensively throughout Asia in various education and community capacity-building-related roles. He is passionate about international development, specifically focusing on the role of community capacity building and the importance of environmental integrity.