This collection of essays introduces the reader to basic concepts and important questions of Sustainable Development as well as of Ethics, Theory and Governance of Science. Its contributors cover a variety of issues that relate to the question what role science plays - or should play - in constructing and responding to challenges of sustainable development. The essays cover a broad field of disciplines. They provide an ambitious overview not only of conceptual debates in these subject areas but also of application-oriented reflections in fields such as water, knowledge in the Anthropocene, as well as the role of human-animal-relationship. The breath of this collection renders it a pertinent introduction to the topic as much as a useful summary of current debates for familiar readers. The volume sets the stage for the new book series ‘Ethics of Science in the Research for Sustainable Development’.