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Robert Kates
Kennedy School, Harvard University
November 4th, 2004
 4 ost 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 abogunje 2004)
 |he Great |ransition Scenario
‡ <www.gsg.org>
     


 
 

 
 
 
    
 

   


   

 
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 Great |ransition
‡ In u
  , 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.
‡ u
   includes the rapid penetration of environmentally
benign technologies, as does 

 , 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
‡ 






‡   


  


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‡ !"

 


‡ #   
 

 Historical Chronology
‡ Peace [1945]
‡ Freedom [1950s]
‡ Development [1960s]
‡ Environment [1970s]
‡ Sustainable Development [1980s]
  


 
 


$ 
 $ 

   % 

 %
  


ëarth hild urvival
iodiversity Li e ëxpectancy
ëcosystems ë ucation
ëquity
ëqual Opportunity
&
 


ëcosystem ervices Wealth
esources ro uctive ectors
ënvironment onsumption

  

ultures Institutions
roups ocial apital
laces tates
egions
   
ue n e ra l In ter me i ate
‡s u stain ab ilit y e u c a ti on [4]
o n vi ole n ce , e ac e ‡p rot ec t li v in g b e in g s [3 ]
‡p eac e c u lt u re [6 ]
‡tr an sp ar en t, ac c o u ntabl e, p arti cip a tor y
e m o cr ac y
ins titu tio ns [6]
‡e q u ita b le ec o n o m y [ 4 ]
‡e ra ica te p ov e rt y [3]
o c ia l & ë co n o m ic
‡g en e r e q u a lity [3]
Ju sti ce
‡in ige n o us , m in orit y ri g ht s [4 ]

‡bi o logi ca l iv ersit y an li e su p p o rt [ 6]

ë c o lo g ic al Int egr ity
o mm u n it y o Li e
‡pr ec a u ti o n ary a ppr oa c h [5 ]
‡s u pp o rtiv e pro u c ti on , c o n s um pti o n &
repr o u c tio n [6 ]
‡e co lo g ica l s u sta in a b ili ty kn o le g e [3]
‡res p ec t li e iv ersit y [ 2]
‡car e o r l i e c o m mu nit y [2]
‡b u il e m o crati c so c ieti es [2 ]
‡ ut u re g en er ati o n s [2 ]
 !"

 



G ener al In term ed iate
‡pe ace, s ecu rity
|o leranc e
d is ar ma m en t
‡hu m an r igh ts , de m o cra cy
F re edom good gove rnanc e [7]

‡dev el opm en t pov erty

Equa lit y erad ication [18 ]

S har ed ‡A frica [4]

R espon si bi lit y ‡st reng th en th e UN [11 ]

S ol id arity ‡pro tect th e vu lner abl e [3]

R espe ct for ‡pro tect co mm on

N atu re env iron me nt [6]
#   
 

General Intermediate
Shared Responsibility ecological sensibility
for Community Nature accountability
democracy participation
aterial Sufficiency reject consumerism
equity
global solidarity
Nonmaterial Realization self-realization
for Good ife 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



 

 






 

± |hree pillars of sustainable development²

 

 

± Sustainability |ransition


  



 


 




 





  
  



 .
Sustainable Development Attitudes and Behavior
Survey Evidence
‡ Sustainable Development: No data, but«
‡ Development
‡ Environment
‡ Driving Forces (I=PA|, D=PAE)
± Population
± Affluence, consumption, poverty
± |echnology
± Entitlements
 ultinational Surveys
[Dates] N=Number of countries

‡ ne 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
‡ ultiple
± GlobeScan Int¶l Env¶t onitor [1997-2003] N=35
± Demographic and Health Survey[1986-2002] N=17
± ECD [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.
‡ fficial 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
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91 94
87 89
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Humans Subdue Rule Adapt to Moral Moral Moral Nature has
not part of and control nature nature duties to duties to duties to intrinsic
nature nature non-living plants animals value
nature

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 Population
‡ Number of children desired declining
almost everywhere
‡ |wo-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
‡ |wo-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,|aiwan and Puerto Rico Believe that
Poverty due to aziness and ack of Will Power
of the Poor
 |he New East-West Divide:
Percent Blaming Poverty on aziness and ack of
Will Power of the Poor
 Consumption
‡ ajorities agree that, at the societal level, money,
material and status consumption are threats to
human cultures and the environment
‡ ajority thought 4less 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
 
  
 
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 |echnology
‡ 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
‡ arge majorities think equity has gotten worse
‡ ajority (58%) agree 4most people are better off
in a free market economy, even though some
people are rich and some are poor.´
‡ Access to entitlements declining ² the bundle of
income, natural resources, familial and social
connections, and societal assistance that are key
determinants of hunger and poverty (Sen, 1982).
‡ |wo-thirds think government doing too little to
help people in poverty within their own country
 illenium 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}
‡ |olerance
± |each 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
± ajority support for UN but not other international
economic institutions
 Attitudes |owards Contextual
Values
‡ Capitalism
± Strong support for free market economy
‡ Globalization
± 4a good thing´ (57%), increased connections
communciation, trade good (83-87%) but make things
worse for environment, poverty, unemployment (45-47%)
‡ |rust in Institutions
± High trust: ilitary, NG s
± ow trust: legislatures, corporations
‡ Social Change
± 2/3 choose gradual reform
 Acting on values, attitudes, and
behaviors
‡ Accelerating action
‡ Bridging barriers
‡ Choosing values
|he 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[ any in place]
± Vivid imagery (focusing events)[ verall lacking]
± Ready institutions and organizations[ any 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: |ime, money, access, literacy,
knowledge, skills, power, or perceived efficacy
± For Society: aws, regulations, perverse
subsidies, infrastructure, available technology,
social norms and expectations, and social,
economic and political context
 Choosing values
‡ ost but not all values needed for SD exist
± illenium 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.
4good life´
‡ Value conflicts need to be acknowledged; value
uncertainties identified; value priorities made
   



 
Ò
 
 

 Research Questions
Values
‡ What influence do each of the identified values
exert over sustainability behavior?
‡ How are the specific sustainability values and
attitudes (e.g., population, affluence, technology
and entitlements) influenced by changes in
contextual values (e.g., freedom and democracy,
tolerance, etc.)?
‡ What values and life style changes will be
required to achieve the u
   scenario?
 Research Questions
Attitudes-Behavior

‡ What are the most critical attitude-behavior gaps

and what can be done to bridge them?
‡ What are the primary individual and contextual
barriers operating to constrain both individual and
collective sustainable behavior in particular social,
economic, political, cultural and geographic
contexts?
‡ What can we learn from retrospective studies of
past successful and unsuccessful efforts to change
public attitudes and behaviors (e.g., smoking,
littering, drug abuse)?
 Research Questions
Values-Attitudes

‡ What are the values and attitudes that drive

material consumption and consumerism?
‡ What explains the large differences in
values, attitudes and behaviors (e.g.,
regarding poverty, consumerism, equality)
across different nations, regions or levels of
economic development?