The idea of sustainability has become so pervasive that its easy to find a reference to sustainability in any discipline/context. The challenges of climate change, energy and resource depletion, population, pollution and other socio-economic issues require a fundamental rethinking of the structures that govern society, economies, cultures, and education. It requires us to cross the boundaries of disciplines and develop a sensibility for a new approach to the 'wicked problems' of the world. How we understand sustainability differs widely across disciplines and scales. Many definitions have emerged from theory and practice. We take a critical approach to the sustainability discourse, exploring its interpretations and critiques. This critical study allows for a deeper understanding and positioning the self in the domain.

Sustainability Studies aimed to initiate a dialogue that brings to fore the interactions at the fringes of where these disciplines interact because sustainability is not about the three pillars of environment, economy and society but the interconnections and inter-dependencies among the various layers and players.