Plural values of nature help to understand contested pathways to sustainability

2024/05/01 by Adrian Martin, Erik Gómez‐Baggethun, Martin F. Quaas +6 · 1 voice · 40 citations
Environmental Science · Social Sciences · #Action (physics) #Allegiance #Biology #Constructive #Corporate governance #Degrowth #Diversity (politics) #Dominance (genetics) #Ecology #Economics #Environmental Education and Sustainability #Environmental Philosophy and Ethics #Environmental ethics #Environmental governance #Epistemology #Law #Management #Plural #Political science #Politics #Religion, Ecology, and Ethics #Sociology #Stewardship (theology) #Sustainability

paper · pdf · doi:10.1016/j.oneear.2024.04.003

published in One Earth 7(5), 806-819 (Elsevier BV)

openalex publication_date 2024/05/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28

Abstract

Despite globally agreed sustainability goals, advocacy for specific pathways of action remains highly contested. Disagreement about how best to advance sustainability can produce constructive debate but can also lead to marginalization, conflict, and inaction. This review uncovers how different "values of nature" underpin allegiance to different pathways of action for sustainability. It analyzes four selected pathways: (1) Green Economy, (2) Nature Protection, (3) Earth Stewardship and Biocultural Diversity, and (4) Degrowth and Post-Growth. We identify how these four pathways diverge in the values they prioritize and how these values are inseparable from the kind of knowledge and solutions they advocate to resolve environmental crises. The review reveals the underlying values that differentiate (and connect) competing pathways and argues that transparency and reflection on these differences is a step toward more constructive use of diversity. Looking forward, we identify promising directions involving deliberative governance, institutional reforms, and disruption of dominance.

Citations

• Framing: Toward Clarification of a Fractured Paradigm
• Endogenous Technological Change

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Discussions

• Interesting review paper by Andrian Martin et al. in @oneearth.bsky.social on the different pathways for sustainability. DEGROWTH is at the crossroads of all pathways of action ! doi.org/10.1016/j [bsky, 24 points, 1 comments]

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