Environmentally sustainable business development is an issue of considerable interest to both the academic and policy communities. However, many of the books written on this subject have tended to neglect the important role played by local and regional factors in determining the successes or failures of attempts to achieve environmentally sustainable development.

Drawing upon case studies and other illustrative material, three major themes are explored: the origins and consequences of the major environmental problems that face economic activities; the major contextual and operational issues that confront business; and ways of improving the environmental performance and management of business and the role that such activities can play in local and regional development.

The overall structure of the book moves from the global to the local level. Detailed case studies on a local and regional scale illustrate the importance of local action in ensuring the greening of businesses and the contribution that environmentally responsible economic activities can make to achieving sustainable development.