Suggested readings for starting Creative Sustainability students – and anyone interested in critical and creative exploration on a more sustainable world

The below list includes some of the books and articles which are used in teaching in the Creative Sustainability programme or relate closely to the topics of the programme. They range from engineering topics, design and business to social theory of sustainability / environmentalism. Some of the texts are highly theoretical and track developments in the discourses around sustainability and design, and others relate more to the practice of sustainability. Some are classics and some more recent explorations from the field. Some are text books with diverse content, others short scientific articles and yet others public reports of research projects.

We do not expect starting students to read this material, but if you want to orient towards your future studies, these are useful sources to start with. Some of the materials are publicly available while others may be difficult to reach without a university library access.

Enjoy reading!

Allwood, J. M., Cullen, J. M., Carruth, M. A., Cooper, D. R., McBrien, M., Milford, R. L., & Patel, A. C. (2012). Sustainable materials: with both eyes open. Cambridge, UK: UIT Cambridge Limited.

Ashby, M. F. (2015). Materials and Sustainable Development. Butterworth-Heinemann.

Bocken, N., Short, S., Rana, P. & Evans, S. (2014). A literature and practice review to develop sustainable business model archetypes. Journal of Cleaner Production, 65: 42-56.

Ceschin, F., & Gaziulusoy, İ. (2019). Design for Sustainability (Open Access): A Multi-level Framework from Products to Socio-technical Systems. Routledge.

Cross, G. S. 1993. Time and Money: The Making of Consumer Culture. London: Routledge.

Esposito, M., Tse, T., & Soufani, K. (2018). Introducing a circular economy: New thinking with new managerial and policy implications. California Management Review, 60: 5-19.

Fuad-Luke, A., Moebus, K. & Hirscher, A-L (Eds) (2015). Agents of Alternatives: Re-designing Our Realities.

Gibson-Graham, J. K., Cameron, J., & Healy, S. (2013). Take back the economy: An ethical guide for transforming our communities. U of Minnesota Press.

Hahn, T., Figge, F., Pinkse, J. & Preuss, L. (2010). Trade-offs in corporate sustainability: You can't have your cake and eat it. Business Strategy and the Environment, 19: 217-229.

Halme, M. & Laurila, J. (2009). Philanthropy, integration or innovation? Exploring the financial and societal outcomes of different types of corporate responsibility. Journal of Business Ethics, 84: 325-339.

Hill, Callum (2011). An Introduction to Sustainable Resource Use. Earthscan.

IGES, Aalto University, D-mat, SITRA &KR Foundation (2018). 1.5-Degree Lifestyles: Targets and Options for Reducing Lifestyle Carbon Footprints.

Lankoski, L. (2016). Alternative conceptions of sustainability in a business context. Journal of Cleaner Production, 139: 847-857.

Niedderer, K., Clune, S., & Ludden, G. (Eds) (2017). Design for Behaviour Change: Theories and practices of designing for change. Routledge.

Porter, M. & Kramer, M. (2011). Creating shared value: How to reinvent capitalism and unleash a wave of innovation and growth. Harvard Business Review, 89(1-2): 62-77.

Schumacher, E. F. (1973). Small Is Beautiful: Economics as if People Mattered. New York: Harper.

van Abel B., Klaassen R., Evers L. & Troxler P. (2011). Open Design Now; Why Design Cannot Remain Exclusive.

Vezzoli, C., Ceschin, F., Diehl, J. C., & Kohtala, C. (2015). New design challenges to widely implement ‘Sustainable Product–Service Systems’. Journal of Cleaner Production, 97, 1-12.

Walker, S. (2012). Sustainable by design: Explorations in theory and practice. Routledge.

White, D., Rudy, A., & Gareau, B. (2015). Environments, natures and social theory: Towards a critical hybridity. Macmillan International Higher Education.