Introduction: The Global Challenge

Technical sustainability management must contend with a wide range of challenges, ranging from environmental, social, and economic problems to governance, regulatory, cultural, institutional, political, technical and human issues. Environmental issues that relate to human impacts beyond defined planetary boundaries like climate change or species extinction are discussed. Social issues are part of 8 of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals. Economic challenges include net capital inheritance by the next generation and, on an organizational level, transformation requirements for non-sustainable businesses. The chapter summarizes challenges that need to be solved urgently.