The problems related to the process of industrialisation such as biodiversity depletion, climate change and a worsening of health and living conditions, especially but not only in developing countries, intensify. Therefore, there is an increasing need to search for integrated solutions to make development more sustainable. The United Nations has acknowledged the problem and approved the “2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”. On 1st January 2016, the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the Agenda officially came into force. These goals cover the three dimensions of sustainable development: economic growth, social inclusion and environmental protection. The Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals comprehensively addresses the SDGs in an integrated way. It encompasses 17 volumes, each one devoted to one of the 17 SDGs. This volume addresses SDG 12, namely "Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns" and contains the description of a range of terms, which allows a better understanding and fosters knowledge. Concretely, the defined targets are: Implement the 10-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns, all countries taking action, with developed countries taking the lead, taking into account the development and capabilities of developing countries Achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources Halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels and reduce food losses along production and supply chains, including post-harvest losses Achieve the environmentally sound management of chemicals and all wastes throughout their life cycle, in accordance with agreed international frameworks, and significantly reduce their release to air, water and soil in order to minimize their adverse impacts on human health and the environment Substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse Encourage companies, especially large and transnational companies, to adopt sustainable practices and to integrate sustainability information into their reporting cycle Promote public procurement practices that are sustainable, in accordance with national policies and priorities Ensure that people everywhere have the relevant information and awareness for sustainable development and lifestyles in harmony with nature Support developing countries to strengthen their scientific and technological capacity to move towards more sustainable patterns of consumption and production Develop and implement tools to monitor sustainable development impacts for sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products Rationalize inefficient fossil-fuel subsidies that encourage wasteful consumption by removing market distortions, in accordance with national circumstances, including by restructuring taxation and phasing out those harmful subsidies, where they exist, to reflect their environmental impacts, taking fully into account the specific needs and conditions of developing countries and minimizing the possible adverse impacts on their development in a manner that protects the poor and the affected communities Editorial Board Medani P. Bhandari, Luciana Londero Brandli, Morgane M. C. Fritz, Ulla A. Saari, Leonardo L. Sta Romana

CAN AMERICA WIN ITS ECONOMIC FUTURE? "YES," says the Architect of Inclusive Competitiveness (r), Johnathan M. Holifield. In this groundbreaking book - an Innovation Economy leader, civil rights advocate and former NFL athlete - Johnathan shines a bright light on shifting demographic trends in the United States and the dramatic impact this will have on our economic future. Inside these pages you'll learn the potential pitfalls ahead, as well as the extraordinary opportunities for shared socio-economic prosperity. Although the economic narrative of the 20th century served America well, it will not - indeed, it cannot - meet the needs of the 21st century. Calling for "All Hands On Deck," this book lays out an exciting way forward for America to win the future. Johnathan presents a compelling model for a new economic narrative and action framework for leaders in business, government, technology, education, philanthropy and the community, and also shows how important it is and will be to include disconnected Americans - women, Blacks, Hispanics and rural populations - if our country is to maintain its position of global economic leadership. This book is essential reading for anyone concerned about the socio-economic future of the U.S. What the experts are saying: "Brilliant! Unlike any other book written on economic development, this one encapsulates the challenges and opportunities of the nation through the lens of economic inclusion and competitiveness ideals. Johnathan has provided America a Rosetta Stone that will unleash America's untapped economic prowess..." JAY W ILLIAMS, FORMER U.S. ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF COMMERCE FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT "With a fresh voice, Holifield clearly identifies the economic imperative of our time. Prescribing a realignment of underserved community priorities to incorporate economic competitiveness, his restructuring framework is perceptive, coherent, and transcends political affiliations..." MICHAEL SCHREIBER, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, ROBERT F. KENNEDY HUMAN RIGHTS "In his new book, "The Future Economy and Inclusive Competitiveness," Johnathan Holifield presents a powerful vision for how the United States can sustain economic growth and wealth creation well in to the future. His vision is based on a compelling modern view of the wealth of nations. In Holifield's view, the wealth of nations is bound up in the interconnectedness of the knowhow, implementable ideas, and information networks of the various ethnic and racial groups and individuals in the economy. He argues that the opportunity for increased economic growth and wealth generation for the United States is presented by the "demographic shift", the so-called browning of America." The key to opening the door to this opportunity is for the private and public sectors to embrace and engage strategies of economic inclusion. Simply put, Holifield argues that the size and robustness of the future US economy is a matter of best practices in a market place of inclusion that stimulates economic competitiveness. Holifield's powerful insight for how economic inclusion can define the future for the US economy is truly a must read." RONALD A. JOHNSON, PhDPRESIDENT, CLARK ATLANTA UNIVERSITY

The current paradigm shift in the world economy is challenging the traditional competitiveness and growth theories with their few explanatory variables. This book offers a more holistic framework to synthesise the key findings of the various branches of competitiveness and growth research. The author illustrates this framework with a new long wave theory of socio-economic development. This theory emphasises the competitiveness and growth benefits of rapid structural adjustment in the rapidly changing techno-economic environment. Based on thorough analysis the author argues that both markets and governments have become less efficient due to the current transformation of the world economy. His empirical data from 22 OECD countries in the 1980s and 1990s illustrates that efficiency and growth-oriented governments have significantly contributed to their countries' economic success. National Competitiveness and Economic Growth will furnish its readers with a better understanding of the interdependencies of many important but seemingly unrelated aspects of modern economies and societies, for example the dynamics of business and technology, and cultural and institutional change. It will appeal to economists, business professionals and policymakers with a special interest in the competitiveness and growth of firms and national economies as well as the long-term development of socio-economic systems.

For the past two decades, Michael Porter's work has towered over the field of competitive strategy. On Competition, Updated and Expanded Edition brings together more than a dozen of Porter's landmark articles from the Harvard Business Review. Five are new to this edition, including the 2008 update to his classic "The Five Competitive Forces That Shape Strategy," as well as new work on health care, philanthropy, corporate social responsibility, and CEO leadership. This collection captures Porter's unique ability to bridge theory and practice. Each of the articles has not only shaped thinking, but also redefined the work of practitioners in its respective field. In an insightful new introduction, Porter relates each article to the whole of his thinking about competition and value creation, and traces how that thinking has deepened over time. This collection is organized by topic, allowing the reader easy access to the wide range of Porter's work. Parts I and II present the frameworks for which Porter is best known--frameworks that address how companies, as well as nations and regions, gain and sustain competitive advantage. Part III shows how strategic thinking can address society's most pressing challenges, from environmental sustainability to improving health-care delivery. Part IV explores how both nonprofits and corporations can create value for society more effectively by applying strategy principles to philanthropy. Part V explores the link between strategy and leadership.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a very strong reminder that the future economic development of any country is more than ever influenced by its ability to ramp-up digital competitiveness. Consequently, enterprises were pushed to assess and develop the possibilities offered by e-commerce and online marketing tools. In this book, experts outline the prerequisites for such online marketing competitiveness and compare the current level of digital marketing competitiveness in Europe by using publicly available macro and micro-level data. The authors present their analyses and recommendations including interviews with over 125 online marketers and e-commerce specialists and present the lessons from digitalization of over 600 SMEs.

Manufacturing’s central role in global innovation Companies compete on the decisions they make. For years—even decades—in response to intensifying global competition, companies decided to outsource their manufacturing operations in order to reduce costs. But we are now seeing the alarming long-term effect of those choices: in many cases, once manufacturing capabilities go away, so does much of the ability to innovate and compete. Manufacturing, it turns out, really matters in an innovation-driven economy. In Producing Prosperity, Harvard Business School professors Gary Pisano and Willy Shih show the disastrous consequences of years of poor sourcing decisions and underinvestment in manufacturing capabilities. They reveal how today’s undervalued manufacturing operations often hold the seeds of tomorrow’s innovative new products, arguing that companies must reinvest in new product and process development in the US industrial sector. Only by reviving this “industrial commons” can the world’s largest economy build the expertise and manufacturing muscle to regain competitive advantage. America needs a manufacturing renaissance—for restoring itself, and for the global economy as a whole. This will require major changes. Pisano and Shih show how company-level choices are key to the sustained success of industries and economies, and they provide business leaders with a framework for understanding the links between manufacturing and innovation that will enable them to make better outsourcing decisions. They also detail how government must change its support of basic and applied scientific research, and promote collaboration between business and academia. For executives, policymakers, academics, and innovators alike, Producing Prosperity provides the clearest and most compelling account yet of how the American economy lost its competitive edge—and how to get it back.

Competitiveness and Death examines the increase and reduction of regulatory barriers to trade across three industries: environmental, labor, and safety rules on automobiles, consumer protection regulations on meat, and intellectual property regulations on medicines. The fundamental negotiation in trade and regulatory policymaking occurs between businesses, activists, and government officials. Gary Winslett builds on new trade theories to explain when and why businesses are most likely to lobby governments to reduce these regulatory trade barriers. He argues that businesses prevail when they can connect with broader concerns about national economic competitiveness. He examines how activist organizations overcome collective action problems and defend regulatory differences, arguing that they succeed when they can link their desire for barriers with preventing needless death. Competitiveness and Death provides a political companion to new trade theories in economics, questioning cleavage-based explanations of trade politics, demonstrating the underappreciated importance of activists, suggesting the limits of globalization, providing in-depth examination of previously ignored trade negotiations, qualifying the California Effect (the shift toward stricter regulatory standards), and showing the relative rarity of regulations used as disguised protectionism.