SUSTAINABILITY AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: HISTORICAL AND CONCEPTUAL REVIEW Desta Mebratu International Institute for Industrial Environmental Economics, Lund University The vagueness of the concept of sustainable development, coupled with its increasing importance in national, international and corporate policies, has led to a large political battle for influence over our future by linking interpretation to the concept. This has resulted in a wide variety of definitions and interpreta- tions that are skewed towards institutional and group prerogatives rather than compounding the essence of the concept, which has been inherent in traditional beliefs and practices. A systematic analysis of representative definitions and interpretations presented in this article reveals that most of the contemporary definitions focus on specific elements while failing to capture the whole spec- trum. Such a historical and conceptual analysis focusing on the analysis of the metaphorical and epistemological basis of the different definitions is believed to be the first step towards developing a concrete body of theory on sustainability and sustainable development.  1998 Elsevier Science Inc. Introduction As we approach the end of the second millenium, we find ourselves over- whelmed by complexities unprecedented in human history. Today, mankind has the capacity to produce far more information than anyone can absorb, to foster far greater interdependency than anyone can manage, and to accelerate change far faster than anyone’s ability to keep pace (Senge 1990). Parallel to (or as a result of) this unprecedented labyrinth of complexity, we have a myriad of systemic dysfunction, each with its own ecological, economic, and social dimensions without simple cause or solution. This has led to the evolution of new concepts, including that of sustainable development as a basis for overcoming the environmental challenges. Address requests for reprints to: Desta Mebratu, International Institute for Industrial Environmental Economics, Lund University, P.O. Box 196, S-221 00 Lund, Sweden. E-mail: desta.mebratu@iiiee-lu.se ENVIRON IMPACT ASSES REV 1998;18:493–520  1998 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved. 0195-9255/98/$19.00 655 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10010 PII S0195-9255(98)00019-5