Sustainable development

We are pleased to present this e-book of the World Journal of Science, Technology and Sustainable Development entitled, &quote;The multiple identities of sustainable development: Towards a convergent definition.&quote; The genesis of this e-book goes back to the London 2013 meetings of the World Association of Sustainable Development, where international delegates from a variety of fields discussed at length the importance of a shared understanding of sustainable development among academics and practitioners alike. The unquestionable underlying theme of the conference was the pressing need to conduct research that unifies diverse approaches and fields.Understanding how principles of sustainable development permeate organizational life is important, as many organizations are now making strategic decisions grounded in some conceptualization of these principles. At the same time, a desired environment of collaboration among multiple stakeholder groups is still intangible. As governmental policies are developed, corporate strategies are formulated, educational curriculum revised, infrastructure investments made, and so on, a need for global collaboration cannot be overstated. Through the e-book, we sought chapters that address the issues associated with defining sustainable development. The chapters published cover a number of important themes, including human sensitivity towards nature, the social domain of sustainable development, and industry effects.The five chapters accepted for publication offer a diversity of views on sustainable development and attempt at offering a convergent theory of sustainable development. Whether focusing on the philosophical and cultural perceptions of nature, the social domain of knowledge creation and sharing, the various domains of human activity, or the industrial contexts in which sustainable development principles are to be applied, the authors' emphasis is on building shared meaning.As guest editors, we would like to thank the authors and the reviewers that have contributed to the quality of this collection of chapters. We would also like to offer special thanks to Allam Ahmed, editor-in-chief of the World Journal of Science, Technology and Sustainable Development for enthusiastically supporting this important initiative.