In a globalized world economy, delivering the aspirations of sustainability is proving to be difficult. Progress is held back by competing objectives within a complex interplay of factors. Finding solutions to the ‘wicked problem’ of sustainability seems to be beyond the reach of policy makers. Even if the political will can be found to deal with the prime challenges of the twenty-first century, ranging from climate change and resource depletion to persistent poverty and increasing inequity, what is to be done in terms of real-world policy is far from clear.

Do we need more globalization; or has economic globalization gone too far in growing a global economy which will strip the planet bare? This book reports twin-track research which interweaves the intellectual argument over the future of the world economy intertwined with empirical research into the challenge of sustainability in aviation. Discussing the prime challenges of this century through the lens of the intractable policy stalemate in aviation, this book leads the reader to the identification of a new way forward. Whether the political will is forthcoming will continue to be subject to debate, but we now have a clear exposition of how to address the problem.

The new paradigm presented in this book opens the way to considering radical transformations to make real progress with the sustainability agenda.