Module 1 – Sustainable development, introduction to sustainability, sustainability as an opportunity in entrepreneurship

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZlJVPB6Yxo

Sustainable development or sustainability is a frequently discussed concept both by the public and the professional sphere (e.g. Van Marrewijk, 2003; Lamb, 2011; Zadražilová, 201, Kunz 2012). Over the course of industrial and economic development, consideration has not been given to possible negative impacts, such as air and water pollution, climate change, overpopulation, migration, poverty, or enormous social inequality (Hummels & Argyrou, 2020). In the 1970s, however, the concept of sustainable development began to emerge, and environmental scientists and economists called for limits on growth (e.g. Meadows, 1972) and a stabilization of the state of the economy (e.g. Daly, 1973).

Although this term is commonly used and utilized by various organizations (Lélé, 1991), it is challenging to understand it and how it is interpreted (White, 2013). This is because it encompasses a broad number of topics, which include e.g. climate change, water and air pollution, overpopulation, poverty or enormous social inequality (Hummels & Argyrou, 2021). Thus, it is evidently a comprehensive field that is difficult to specify in a unified manner and thus to define. Perception of this concept is highly influenced by cultural differences between countries and the economic sector (Webster 1997; Von Wirén-Lehr, 2001).