Strategies Towards the New Sustainability Paradigm

On a historical global turning point, this book offers a thorough exploration of the “New Sustainability Paradigm”, originally developed by the Global Scenario Group (GSG) of the Stockholm Environmental Institute (SEI) as a starting point for analyzing real-life transitions and transformations. 11 contributors from 5 continents present detailed analyses of economic and political transitions in Western and Eastern Europe, the USA, the Middle East, and in Asia, discussing the role of different players in the implementation of the New Sustainability Paradigm.

Part I offers an overview of the six scenarios developed by the GSG and a short discussion of significant papers published by the Great Transition Initiative (GTI) of the Tellus Institute. Next come examples of dramatic historical and current transitions in Western Europe, the USA, Eastern Europe, the Middle East (Arabian Spring), and Asia, as well as an analysis of the potential of humankind to manage a great transition to the new sustainability paradigm. Subsequent chapters highlight the role of culture and education and review the role of different players for the implementation of the new sustainability paradigm. The focus of Part II is on the ecological pillar of Sustainability. The discussion includes urgent ecological problems including climate engineering, eco-criminality, bioterrorism, biodiversity protection, water, energy, and food security. Part III deals with needed innovations in sustainable waste management and sustainable city architecture, especially big cities in developing and threshold countries, where a significant part of the world population is concentrated. The fourth and final section offers an analysis of insights developed throughout the book, and outlines recommendations for the implementation of the New Sustainability Paradigm by civil society, grass-root movements, scholars, politically neutral NGOs, sincere media players, and by open-minded and enlightenedpoliticians to manage and steer the Great Transition towards sustainable global democracy.

Odile Schwarz-Herion studied law with focus on criminology at bachelor’s level and earned an MBA from the Stuttgart Institute of Management and Technology (SIMT). She did her PhD degree in economic sciences at the University of Hohenheim/Stuttgart, investigating and evaluating the performance of private enterprises in Sustainability Management and the role of politics in fostering goals of the UN Agenda 21. As organizer and plenary assembly keynote speaker at international Sustainability conferences, Dr. Schwarz-Herion treated key issues in economics and international politics. After having worked as project manager and sales engineer in large international enterprises, she became a Sustainable Development Consultant. In 2011, ZAD examined Private Investigator Dr. Odile Schwarz-Herion, who also holds the extensive state security permission, founded Dres. Schwarz-Herion KG Detektei, a private Detective Agency specialized in eco-criminality and crimes against humanity. She is author and co-editor of books and journal articles about Sustainability Management, ethics and crime investigation.

Professor Dr. Abdelnaser Omran is a lecturer at School of Economics, Finance and Banking at Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM). He is an avid writer, contributed many publications in the field of environmental sciences and engineering, construction, and project management. So far, he published 167 articles in international journals and more than 112 proceeding papers at local and international conferences. Besides that, he has written 4 books. Abdelnaser served as an international reviewer and an editorial member for quite a number of international journals and as scientific committee member for many local and international conferences and seminars.