Introduction

Sustainability has become an essential aspect of modern society as we strive to protect the planet and ensure the well-being of future generations. While many sustainability efforts focus on global solutions, it is essential to recognize the unique characteristics and needs of a particular location, including its natural resources, cultural heritage, and social dynamics, in achieving sustainable development. Place-based sustainability is a concept that emphasizes the importance of local ecosystems and communities in promoting sustainable development. It recognizes that each place has unique environmental, economic, cultural, and social characteristics that require tailored solutions to address challenges. This approach prioritizes the involvement of local stakeholders and the integration of traditional knowledge and cultural values. Place-based sustainability practices try to operationalise Pope Francis's vision, which calls for a new economy, the Economy of Francesco, “one that brings life not death, one that is inclusive and not exclusive, humane and not dehumanizing, one that cares for the environment and does not despoil it”. According to the call for the ecological transformation of humankind, the contributions included in the two volumes Place-Based Approaches to Sustainability, namely Volume I—Ethical and Spiritual Foundations of Sustainability and Volume II—Business, Economic, and Social Models explore theoretical and practical models that integrate the sense of the place, ethics and spirituality in new ways of organizing of economic and social life, to tackle with the material and spiritual aspects of the present economic and environmental crisis.