The Value-Behavior Gap in Sustainable
Development: A Review of the Evidence
Robert Kates
Kennedy School, Harvard University
November 4th, 2004
“Most advocates of sustainable
development recognize that for it to be
realized would require changes in human
values, attitudes and behaviors…Despite
the importance of such value changes,
however, relatively little is known about
the long-term global trends in values,
attitudes, and behaviors that will both
help or hinder a sustainability transition.”
(Akin Mabogunje 2004)
The Great Transition Scenario
• <www.gsg.org>
Four Visions of the Future
Market Forces
Policy Reform
Market optimism, hidden and
enlightened hand
Stewardship through better
technology and management
Fortress World
Great Transition
Social chaos, fragmentation,
authoritarian “solutions”
Progressive social evolution, human
solidarity and the art of living
Great Transition
• In Great Transition, a connected and engaged global citizenry advance
a new development paradigm that emphasizes the quality of life,
human solidarity, and a strong ecological sensibility – new values
shape the planetary transition.
• Great Transition includes the rapid penetration of environmentally
benign technologies, as does Policy Reform, but at a more rapid pace.
A second major feature also supports environmental sustainability –
the shift toward less materially-intensive lifestyles. Resource
requirements decrease as consumerism abates, populations stabilize,
growth slows in affluent areas, and settlement patterns become more
integrated and compact. At the same time, poverty levels drop, as
equity between and within countries rapidly improves.
Values, Attitudes, and Behavior
• Values are expressions of, or beliefs in, the worth of
objects, qualities, or behaviors. Values define or direct us
to goals, frame our attitudes, and provide standards against
which the behavior of individuals and societies can be
judged.
• Attitudes refer to the evaluation of a specific object,
quality or behavior as good or bad, positive or negative.
Attitudes often derive from and reflect abstract values
• Behavior refers to concrete decisions and actions taken by
individuals and groups, which are often rooted in
underlying values and attitudes
Sustainable Development Values
Documentary Evidence
•
•
•
•
•
Historical Chronology
Sustainable Development Taxonomy
The Earth Charter
The UN Millennium Declaration
The Great Transition Scenario
Historical Chronology
•
•
•
•
•
Peace [1945]
Freedom [1950s]
Development [1960s]
Environment [1970s]
Sustainable Development [1980s]
Sustainable Development
Taxonomy
What is to be
sustained:
What is to be
developed:
Nature
Earth
Biodiversity
Ecosystems
People
Child Survival
Life Expectancy
Education
Equity
Equal Opportunity
Economy
Wealth
Productive Sectors
Consumption
Society
Institutions
Social Capital
States
Regions
Life Support
Ecosystem Services
Resources
Environment
Culture
Cultures
Groups
Places
The Earth Charter
General
Nonviolence, Peace
Democracy
Social & Economic
Justice
Ecological Integrity
Community of Life
Intermediate
•sustainabilit y education [4]
•protect living beings [3]
•peace culture [6]
•transparent, accountable, participatory
institutions [6]
•equitable economy [4]
•eradicate poverty [3]
•gender equality [3]
•indigenous, minority rights [4]
•biological diversity and life support [6]
•precautionary approach [5]
•supportive production, consumption &
reproduction [6]
•ecological sustainability knowledge [3]
•respect life diversity [2]
•care for life community [2]
•build democratic societies [2]
•future generations [2]
The UN Millennium
Declaration
General
Freedom
Intermediate
•peace, security &
disarmament
•human rights, democracy &
good gove rnanc e [7]
Equality
•development & poverty
eradication [18]
Shared
Responsibility
•Africa [4]
•strengthen the UN [11]
Solidarity
•protect the vulnerable [3]
Respect for
Nature
•protect common
environment [6]
Tolerance
The Great Transition Scenario
General
Intermediate
Shared Responsibility
ecological sensibility
for Community &Nature accountability
democracy participation
Material Sufficiency
reject consumerism
equity
global solidarity
Nonmaterial Realization self-realization
for Good Life
spirituality
culture
Values Comparison
• Values come in many shapes, sizes, and guises
• Values are ordered, but not consistently so
• Key value themes
– 20th Century concerns: peace, freedom, development,
and environment
– Three pillars of sustainable development—environment,
economy, and equity
– Sustainability Transition: meeting human needs,
reducing hunger and poverty, while preserving the life
support systems of the planet .
Sustainable Development Attitudes and Behavior
Survey Evidence
•
•
•
•
Sustainable Development: No data, but…
Development
Environment
Driving Forces (I=PAT, D=PAE)
–
–
–
–
Population
Affluence, consumption, poverty
Technology
Entitlements
Multinational Surveys
[Dates] N=Number of countries
• One time
–
–
–
–
Health of the planet [1992] N=24
Pew Global Attitudes Project [2002]N=41
International Social Science Program[2000]N=26
Eurobarometer[2002] N=16
• Multiple
–
–
–
–
GlobeScan Int’l Env’t Monitor [1997-2003] N=35
Demographic and Health Survey[1986-2002] N=17
OECD [1990-2002] N=23
World Values Survey[1981-1998] N= 68
Development
• Surprisingly little data on attitudes towards human
development, economic development, and
development assistance.
• Despite remarkable increases in human well-being
globally pervasive sense that human well-being
has recently been deteriorating.
• Economic prosperity valued but little data on end
points or distribution
• Strong popular support but poor understanding of
development assistance to poor countries.
• Official national support much less
Environment
• Strong global environmental concern
• Priority given to environment over
economic growth
• Support strong national efforts, taxes,
regulations, but less for international action
• Half report some pro-environment purchase
or recycle; but only 10-15% activist action
Percent of Global Public Saying "Very Serious Problem"
100%
72%
70%
69%
69%
67%
67%
56%
50%
46%
0%
Water
Pollution
Rain Forests
Depletion of
Natural
Resources
Air Pollution
Ozone Layer
Species Loss
Climate
Change
GMO Food
American Support for Environmental Values
"Agree"
100
87
89
Moral
duties to
non-living
nature
Moral
duties to
plants
91
94
Percent of Respondents
77
50
45
30
9
0
Humans
Subdue
not part of and control
nature
nature
Source: Leiserowitz 2003
Rule
nature
Adapt to
nature
Moral
Nature has
duties to
intrinsic
animals
value
Population
• Number of children desired declining
almost everywhere
• Two-thirds support and use family planning
and contraception
• Yet large unmet need for contraception,
20-25% births undesired
Affluence, Poverty
• Dramatic rise in aggregate affluence and
consumption but 2.6 billion people live on less
than $2 per day
• Two-thirds say more poor in last decade and
poverty is primarily caused by unfair treatment by
society
• But large majorities of Japan, China, USA,
Phillipines,Taiwan and Puerto Rico Believe that
Poverty due to Laziness and Lack of Will Power
of the Poor
The New East-West Divide:
Percent Blaming Poverty on Laziness and Lack of
Will Power of the Poor
Consumption
• Majorities agree that, at the societal level, money,
material and status consumption are threats to
human cultures and the environment
• Majority thought “less emphasis on money and
material possessions” would be a good thing and
more time for leisure activities or family life is
their biggest goal.
• But two thirds say that the spending of money on
themselves and their family represents one of
life’s greatest pleasures
Spending Money on Self and Family is One of Life’s Greatest Pleasures
South Korea
89
India
88
China
84
Nigeria
82
81
Brazil
74
Mexico
71
Argentina
Great Britain
69
Turkey
68
66
France
59
USA
58
Canada
57
Russia
Spain
56
Italy
56
Japan
52
51
Chile
Sweden
49
Germany
49
39
Indonesia
0
25
50
Percent
Source: GlobeScan 2000
75
100
The Fulfillment Curve: How much is enough?
Subjective Well-Being by Level of Development
Source: Inglehart 2000
Technology
• Public has very positive attitudes towards science
and technology
• Dramatic differences in technological optimism
regarding environement between richer and poorer
countries
• Strong support for renewable energy especially in
Europe, hostility to nuclear, split between rich and
poor countries on chemical pesticides, and
biotechnology
Equity and Entitlements
• Large majorities think equity has gotten worse
• Majority (58%) agree “most people are better off
in a free market economy, even though some
people are rich and some are poor.”
• Access to entitlements declining — the bundle of
income, natural resources, familial and social
connections, and societal assistance that are key
determinants of hunger and poverty (Sen, 1982).
• Two-thirds think government doing too little to
help people in poverty within their own country
Millenium Declaration Values Attitudes
• Freedom [no data] & Democracy
– Strong support for democracy
• Equality
– 2/3 for eliminating inequality, for gender equality, less
clear for income equality
• Solidarity [no data}
• Tolerance
– Teach tolerance at home (70%) but don’t live next door
to homosexuals(43%), Gypsies (38%), AIDs (37%) etc.
• Respect for Nature
– Strong support for environment
• Shared Responsibility
– Majority support for UN but not other international
economic institutions
Attitudes Towards Contextual
Values
• Capitalism
– Strong support for free market economy
• Globalization
– “a good thing” (57%), increased connections
communciation, trade good (83-87%) but make things
worse for environment, poverty, unemployment (45-47%)
• Trust in Institutions
– High trust: Military, NGOs
– Low trust: legislatures, corporations
• Social Change
– 2/3 choose gradual reform
Acting on values, attitudes, and
behaviors
• Accelerating action
• Bridging barriers
• Choosing values
The Action Curve
Accelerating action
• Examples:
– Collective: CFCs, civil rights, 9-11
– Individual: smoking, drunk driving, seat belts, littering
• Conditions for accelerating SD:
–
–
–
–
.Public values and attitudes[Many in place]
Vivid imagery (focusing events)[Overall lacking]
Ready institutions and organizations[Many available]
Available solutions[Some available]
• Accelerating Sustainable Development
– Africa
– Climate Change
Bridging barriers
• Barriers between attitudes and behavior:
– For Individuals and Society: Direction and
strength of needed values and attitudes
– For Individuals: Time, money, access, literacy,
knowledge, skills, power, or perceived efficacy
– For Society: Laws, regulations, perverse
subsidies, infrastructure, available technology,
social norms and expectations, and social,
economic and political context
Choosing values
• Most but not all values needed for SD exist
– Millenium development Goals (2015)
– Sustainability transition (2050)
– Great transition
• Individuals and societies support abstract values
(peace, freedom, devlopment and environment)
but in concrete decision-making value conflicts
arise: e.g. species protection vs. exploitation,
cheap fossil fuels vs. renewables, consumerism vs.
“good life”
• Value conflicts need to be acknowledged; value
uncertainties identified; value priorities made
The core question that inspires our work…
Which world
do we want?