The Routledge handbook of democracy and sustainability

"This handbook provides comprehensive and critical coverage of the lively and complex relationship between democracy and sustainability in contemporary theory, discourse, and practice. Distinguished scholars from different disciplines look at the present state of this relationship, asking how it has evolved and where it is likely to go in the future. In addition, they examine compatibilities and tensions, convergences and divergences, continuities and changes, as well as challenges and potentials not just on the level of theory but also in various empirical fields and practical contexts. There is an established and vibrant debate on the relationship between democracy and ustainability. Indeed, democracy's role in and potential for coping with global and local environmental threats has been subject to scientific analysis and political argumentation for several decades now. Yet this debate has been rather fragmented and diffuse. It comprises theoretical, empirical, and practical contributions from different disciplines, which adopt diverse theoretical and methodological perspectives and address different problem areas and levels of political action. By covering this debate in its entirety, this handbook provides a comprehensive overview of the diversity of arguments, claims, questions, and insights that are put forward regarding the relationship between democracy and sustainability. In the process, it not only consolidates and condenses, but also broadens and captures the many nuances of the debate on sustainability and democracy. By showing how theoretical, empirical and practical accounts are interrelated and focussing on diverse problem areas and spheres of action, this handbook serves as a knowledge source for professionals who seek to develop action strategies that do justice to both sustainability and democracy, as well as providing a valuable resource for academic researchers, lecturers and students."