Introduction: Why green social work?

The world is undergoing numerous environmental crises, both ʼnatural’ and (hu)man-made which are increasing in frequency and damage caused to people and their social systems, other living beings and the physical environment (UNISDR, 2016). Social workers are often engaged in responding to these, providing practical assistance and psychosocial care. They have been less visible at the top decision-making tables in the United Nations (UN) and its organisations because the discipline and profession are quite erroneously considered as vocational in their orientation, instead of being research-led just like other disciplines and professions. One of the exciting dimensions of this volume, The Routledge Handbook of Green Social Work (the Handbook), is that it clearly demonstrates that there is a theory and a practice behind the work that social workers do in the environment, responding to people and environmental issues in their totality. Additionally, it is transdisciplinary in its approach and has much to contribute to others committed to valuing planet earth. Social work is also morally and philosophically attuned to protecting the environment as it considers humanity as part of the environment, of nature, not outside it as advocated by the exponents of modernity.