Environmental Policy is Social Policy – Social Policy is Environmental Policy Toward Sustainability Policy

Using examples from diverse academic and applied fields, it is shown how environmental policy can (and should) be thought of as social policy – and how social policy can (and should) simultaneously be seen as environmental policy.

If sustainability is our goal, social and environmental policy must be treated as one and the same field. Examples from Agriculture, Nutrition, Forestry, Urban Planning, Care Work, Tourism, and University Management show that such a paradigm shift is indicated, important, and timely. They also show that Environmental or Social Impact Assessments are no longer adequate. The new paradigm synthetically combines environmental and social policy. Not to do so leads to policy inefficiency and perverse effects. One policy domain may counteract or outright “sabotage” the other.

To synthetically combine environmental and social policy calls for a trans-disciplinary perspective to include both policy fields and academic disciplines. This is well illustrated by the contributors in this book who represent numerous academic disciplines. They help professionals and students appreciate the centrality of trans-disciplinary thought and practice in working toward sustainability.

​ ​This book argues that social and environmental policy should be synthetically treated as one and the same field, that both are but two aspects of the same coin – if sustainability is the goal. Such a paradigm shift is indicated, important, and timely to effectively move towards sustainability. This book is the first to take this approach and to give examples for it. Not to synthetically merge the two fields has been and will continue to be highly insufficient, inefficient and contradictory for policy and public administration aiming for a transformation towards a sustainable world. In general, social problems are dealt with in one “policy corner” and environmental problems in another. Rarely is social policy (at large) concerned with its impact on the environment or its connection with and relevance to environmental policy. Equally, environmental problems are generally not seen in conjunction with social policy, even though much environmental policy directly relates to health, nutrition, migration and other issues addressed by social policy. This book intends to correct the pattern to separate these very significant and large policy fields. Using examples from diverse academic and applied fields, it is shown how environmental policy can (and should) be thought of as social policy – and how social policy can (and should) simultaneously be seen as environmental policy. Tremendous benefits are to be expected.