Achieving Global Sustainability

The problem of global sustainability is indisputably the most serious issue facing humanity today. One of the biggest factors in the deterioration of global sustainability is climate change which has been exacerbated by the entire range of human activities and is inextricably related to modern civilization. Solving this difficult problem requires a drastic redesign of society from all aspects-technological, economic, and social. This book looks at how to achieve a more secure level of global sustainability and gathers a variety of recommendations. Achieving Global Sustainability reviews the current status of global sustainability and analyses the relationship between globalization and sustainability, together with arguments on the necessity of a paradigm shift in economic growth. Paradigm shifts in socio-economic development are discussed in terms of social common capital, contemporary social discipline and economic valuation of the environment. The contributors also examine various strategies for achieving a sustainable society, among them a basic strategy for mitigating climate change, a strategy of technology development toward global sustainability, and a post-2012 international policy framework. The book presents methods of adaptation for environmental change, including integrated assessment models of climate change and a risk-assessment approach to seismic hazard mitigation. Policy recommendations for global sustainability are also introduced, including those advocating a low-carbon society by 2050, a "Green New Deal" as a means of integrating policies, climate security, and a new international discipline.