Sustainable development is the process by which an individual or a group of individuals (such as a country or a society) may make use of various environmental resources in the present while ensuring that these resources remain viable in both the near-term and long-term future. Sustainable development is of exceptional importance in today’s world, given the current concerns and debates over key environmental issues such as global warming, species depletion, and deforestation. This course introduces the key concepts and social, economic, and environmental issues surrounding sustainable development and provides a brief history of the topic. Examples and case studies of successful and disastrous developments throughout history are examined in order to demonstrate various concepts. Following this introduction, sustainable development is examined in the context of chemistry and chemical industry. Issues such as regulatory approaches to sustainability, industry initiatives, and the technology of 'green' chemistry are included.
