The Sage Handbook of Eco-Social Policy and Politics offers a bold and timely rethinking of how public policies and political action can address ecological challenges while simultaneously advancing a broad range of social goals—such as equity, wellbeing, inclusion, and democratic participation—through an integrated and transformative approach.
Moving beyond the traditional silos of environmental protection and social welfare, this handbook presents a comprehensive framework for understanding how ecological and social justice are deeply interconnected—and must be tackled together.
At the heart of eco-social thinking is the recognition that sustainability cannot be achieved without justice, nor justice without sustainability. From the uneven impacts of climate change to the structural inequalities embedded in environmental harm, this volume explores how power, politics, and policy shape our responses to ecological crises. It brings together leading scholars and practitioners from around the world to examine the theoretical foundations, political struggles, policy innovations, and transformative movements that define the eco-social landscape.
Structured into five thematic sections, the handbook begins with key theories, informing concepts and histories, then moves through political dynamics, policy design, grassroots activism, and future visions for eco-social transformation. It offers critical insights into how welfare systems, governance structures, and social movements can be reimagined to support both people and the planet.
The Sage Handbook of Eco-Social Policy and Politics is an essential resource for anyone seeking to understand and shape a just and sustainable future.
Section One: Theories, Concepts, and Histories
Section Two: Politics of Eco-Social Crises
Section Three: Eco-Social Policy
Section Four: Eco-Social Movements, Resistance, and Activism
Section Five: Eco-Social Futures and Transformations
Karen Bell is Professor of Social and Environmental Justice in the Division of Urban Studies and Social Policy, School of Social and Political Sciences, University of Glasgow. Her work focuses on Environmental Justice, Just Transition, the environmental costs of militarism, and eco-social policy. Her book publications include ‘Achieving Environmental Justice’ in 2014; ‘Working Class Environmentalism’ in 2020; and ‘Diversity and Inclusion in Environmentalism’ in 2021. She is currently working on two large international research projects investigating Romani sustainability practices (AHRC funded) and military use of critical minerals (ESRC funded).
Emma Foster is an Associate Professor of International Politics and Gender at the University of Birmingham. She has published work on sustainable development and environmental governance, exploring how related concepts and policies understand and integrate sex(uality) and gender. Emma has also published on ecofeminism and queer ecology. Currently, she is researching (along with- among others - fellow contributor, Peter Kerr) the tensions and potential synergies across, between and within queer and environmental activist networks and movements. She has published in a wide range of academic journals including ‘Globalisations’, ‘Gender, Place and Culture’, ‘Policy and Politics’, ‘Feminist Theory’ and ‘Global Political Economy’.
Silpa Satheesh works as an Assistant Professor at the Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode, India. Her research interests are broadly centered in the fields of social movements, Environmental Labour Studies, political economy and social dimensions of climate change. Her book ‘Labour, Nature and Capitalism: Exploring Labour-Environmental Conflicts in Kerala, India’ (2025, UCL Press) looks at the tensions between trade unions and a working-class environmental movement. Silpa has published her research in journals and edited volumes including ‘Critical Asian Studies’, ‘Sociology Compass’, ‘The Palgrave Handbook of Environmental Labour Studies’, and ‘Interface: A journal for and about social movements’.
