Valuing nature as individuals and communities

The paper examines the historical roots of the human-nature divide, particularly in 'WEIRD' (Western, educated, industrialized, rich, and democratic) countries, where nature is often viewed instrumentally. It contrasts this with indigenous worldviews that see humans as integral to the biosphere. The authors argue that human-nature connectedness (HNC) is a contextual ability that can be fostered through nature accessibility, authentic education, and the legal recognition of the Rights of Nature to move toward a biocentric model of sustainability.

• The historical separation between humans and nature, rooted in 17th-century Cartesian philosophy and biblical interpretations of dominion, provided the foundation for the Industrial Revolution and the unsustainable development of the Anthropocene.
• In Western conceptualizations of development, nature is primarily valued for its instrumental or short-term economic use, often ignoring its intrinsic value or the relational value created through human-nature interactions.
• Indigenous cultures generally reject the human-nature dichotomy, viewing themselves as part of an extended ecological family, which has supported sustainable civilizations for millennia, such as Aboriginal Australians for approximately 40,000 years.
• Human-Nature Connectedness (HNC) is a contextual ability influenced by cultural norms and spatial access to nature, and it is associated with a wide range of pro-environmental behaviors, including recycling, water conservation, and the acceptance of climate policies.
• Strong sustainability requires a shift from an anthropocentric to a biocentric or ecocentric worldview, where human systems are recognized as embedded within the boundaries of the biosphere.
• An 'eco-gender gap' exists where women generally exhibit more positive environmental attitudes and lower energy consumption than men, partly because sustainable consumption is often stereotypically associated with feminine identities.
• Younger generations are experiencing 'environmental generational amnesia' and 'nature-deficit disorder,' where the lack of interaction with nature leads to a redefined, lower baseline for what is considered a 'normal' state of the environment.
• The 'Rights of Nature' movement proposes legal environmental personhood to challenge instrumental views of nature, with examples of such recognition in the constitutions of Ecuador and Bolivia, and for specific entities in New Zealand.

APA

Giusti, M., Dawkins, E., & Lambe, F. (2022). Valuing nature as individuals and communities. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/valuing-nature-stockholm50backgroundpapers.pdf

Chicago

Giusti, Matteo, Elena Dawkins, and Fiona Lambe. Valuing nature as individuals and communities. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2022. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/valuing-nature-stockholm50backgroundpapers.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Giusti |first1=Matteo |last2=Dawkins |first2=Elena |last3=Lambe |first3=Fiona |title=Valuing nature as individuals and communities |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=May 2022 |url=https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/valuing-nature-stockholm50backgroundpapers.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{giusti2022valuing, author = {Giusti, Matteo and Dawkins, Elena and Lambe, Fiona}, title = {{Valuing nature as individuals and communities}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2022}, month = may, url = {https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/valuing-nature-stockholm50backgroundpapers.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }