Pro Earth Papers
Pro Earth Papers
Wokje Abrahamse
S
cientists are more certain than ever that approach makes it often difficult to to protect the environment4 is more likely
environmental change is happening and establish cause and effect (that is, did the to produce positive behavioural spillover
that people’s actions are contributing first behaviour cause people to do a second than using a financial reward. This is a
to it. Profound lifestyle changes are needed behaviour, or is it the other way around?). fascinating finding as it suggests that the use
to avoid the severe impacts of current In turn, researchers who use experimental of incentives — a commonly used policy
environmental problems, including climate designs can claim causation more tool — may in fact backfire.
change. People’s individual actions can make confidently — a small, but growing number Future research on behavioural spillover
a significant contribution1. Encouraging of authors in spillover research. Such designs should build on this meta-analysis by
people to adopt a range of sustainable allow researchers to compare a group of examining behavioural spillover in
behaviours can form an integral part of people who received an intervention (and longitudinal field studies. Longitudinal
the solution to environmental challenges2. changed their behaviour) with a control research on spillover is currently relatively
One way is for people to adopt several pro- group of people who did not receive it. rare. But if the aim is to achieve durable
environmental behaviours one after the The important contribution by Maki and behaviour change, monitoring the
other, through a process called behavioural colleagues is that they use meta-analysis dynamics of behavioural spillover over
spillover3. Writing in this issue, Maki to quantify the magnitude of behavioural time is important. It would be interesting
and co-authors examine the potential for spillover. They examine several aspects: to examine whether some of the findings of
behavioural spillover to occur and they whether or not engaging in one pro- this meta-analysis are also evident or could
analyse under which conditions spillover is environmental behaviour results in stronger be replicated in longitudinal research.
more or less likely to happen. support for environmental policies, in We need urgent action to address current
There has been a recent surge in research stronger intentions to engage in a second environmental problems. The findings
on what has become known as behavioural pro-environmental behaviour, and in the of this meta-analysis will be of value to
spillover. Positive behavioural spillover adoption of a second pro-environmental a broad research community, and these
refers to the notion that when people behaviour. The authors find that when findings could and should be used to inform
change one behaviour (for example, they people adopt a first pro-environmental policymaking. This meta-analysis by Maki
start recycling), this can result in changes behaviour, their intentions to adopt a et al. advances our understanding of how to
in other, related behaviours (for example, second pro-environmental behaviour more-effectively encourage a range of pro-
they also start reducing food waste). Several increases. However, the authors also find environmental behaviours. It simultaneously
theories can explain this phenomenon. some evidence for negative behavioural addresses an issue of scholarly and societal
For example, when people engage in pro- spillover: when people engage in a first importance that promises to benefit people
environmental actions, they may start pro-environmental behaviour, they and society in a shift towards a more
to see themselves as an environmentally then seem less likely to adopt a second environmentally sustainable future. ❐
conscious person, which then informs other pro-environmental behaviour. Here the
behaviours. A related explanation is that distinction between intention and actual Wokje Abrahamse
people strive for consistency in their actions. behaviour is important. School of Geography, Environment, and Earth
In contrast, negative behavioural spillover They also analyse whether behavioural Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington,
can occur when people refrain from further spillover depends on the type of intervention Wellington, New Zealand.
pro-environmental behaviours because to change behaviour. Interventions that e-mail: [email protected]
they are already ‘doing their bit’. This can strengthen people’s intrinsic motivation
be attributed to a process called moral (doing a behaviour because it is inherently Published online: 9 April 2019
licensing: when we do something good, we important) are more likely to result in https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-019-0273-7
worry less about the consequences of doing positive behavioural spillover. Interventions
something harmful. focused on extrinsic motivation (doing a References
To date, much behavioural spillover behaviour because of something external, 1. Dietz, T. et al. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 106, 18452–18456 (2009).
research is correlational, meaning that it such as a reward) tend to produce negative 2. Clayton, S. et al. Nat. Clim. Change 5, 640–646 (2015).
3. Nash, N. et al. Wiley Interdisc. Rev. Clim. Change 8,
looks at bivariate associations between behavioural spillover. In other words, 481 (2017).
factors, rather than at causality. This encouraging people to make a commitment 4. Baca-Motes, K. et al. J. Consumer Res. 39, 1070–1084 (2012).
Sustainable development
goals for people and planet
Planetary stability must be integrated with United Nations targets to fight
poverty and secure human well-being, argue David Griggs and colleagues.
T
he United Nations Rio+20 summit life-support system and poverty reduction a prerequisite for a thriving global society.
in Brazil in 2012 committed govern- must be the twin priorities for SDGs. It is not With the human population set to rise to
ments to create a set of sustainable enough simply to extend MDGs, as some are 9 billion by 2050, definitions of sustainable
development goals (SDGs) that would be suggesting, because humans are transform- development must be revised to include the
integrated into the follow-up to the Millen- ing the planet in ways that could undermine security of people and the planet.
nium Development Goals (MDGs) after development gains. Defining a unified set of SDGs is challeng-
their 2015 deadline. Discussions on how to As mounting research shows, the stable ing, especially when there can be conflict
formulate these continue this week at UN functioning of Earth systems — including between individual goals, such as energy
headquarters in New York. the atmosphere, oceans, forests, waterways, provision and climate-change prevention.
We argue that the protection of Earth’s biodiversity and biogeochemical cycles — is But we show here that it is possible. By
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COMMENT
A UNIFIED FRAMEWORK
A set of six sustainable development goals (SDGs) follow from combining the Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs) with conditions necessary to assure the stability of Earth's systems.
NEW PARADIGM
Earth’s life-
support system NEW DEFINITION
Sustainable development in the
Anthropocene: “Development that meets
Society the needs of the present while
safeguarding Earth’s life-support
Economy system, on which the welfare of current
and future generations depends.”
People Planet
UPDATED MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS + PLANETARY MUST-HAVES = SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
End poverty and hunger Materials use Thriving lives and livelihoods
Universal education Clean air Sustainable food security
Gender equality Nutrient (N and P) cycles Sustainable water security
Health Hydrological cycles Universal clean energy
Environmental sustainability Ecosystem services Healthy and productive ecosystems
Global partnership Biodiversity Governance for sustainable societies
Climate stability
combining the MDGs with global envi- people of all nations make the transition to of current and future generations depends”.
ronmental targets drawn from science and sustainable lifestyles. To set appropriate goals and targets,
from existing international agreements, we By coordinating actions internationally, environmental conditions have to be
propose six SDGs with provisional targets SDGs can address these risks. The MDGs identified that enable prosperous human
for 2030. have shown that a goal-setting approach development and set tolerable ranges for
raises both public and policy support and the biosphere to remain in that state. The
ENTER THE ANTHROPOCENE channels funds effectively towards urgent extraordinarily stable Holocene epoch that
Since 2000, the MDGs have focused on reduc- global problems2. However, the political allowed our ancestors to develop agricul-
ing extreme poverty in developing countries. reluctance to go beyond merely extending ture and modern societies during the past
But pursuing a post-2015 agenda focused the MDGs is a concern. 10,000 years provides a scientific reference
only on poverty alleviation could undermine The targets for the SDGs must be measur- point. Indeed, these are the only conditions
the agenda’s purpose. Growing evidence and able, based on the latest research and should we know that can support modern life.
real-world changes convincingly show that apply to developed and developing coun- Building on decades of research, a 2009
humanity is driving global environmental tries. First, however, we need to reframe the analysis defined planetary boundaries
change and has pushed us into a new geologi- UN paradigm of three pillars of sustainable which would be unsafe to transgress for
cal epoch — the Anthropocene1. development — economic, social and envi- nine Earth-system processes 3: climate
Further human pressure risks causing ronmental — and instead view it as a nested change; rate of biodiversity loss (terrestrial
widespread, abrupt and possibly irrevers- concept. The global economy services soci- and marine); interference with the nitrogen
ible changes to basic Earth-system pro- ety, which lies within Earth’s life-support and phosphorus cycles; stratospheric ozone
cesses. Water shortages, extreme weather, system. The definition of sustainable devel- depletion; ocean acidification; global fresh-
deteriorating conditions for food produc- opment, as laid out in the 1987 report from water use; change in land use; chemical pol-
tion, ecosystem loss, ocean acidification the UN World Commission on Environ- lution; and atmospheric aerosol loading.
and sea-level rise are real dangers that ment and Development (the Brundtland Adapting this planetary boundaries work,
could threaten development and trig- Commission), should therefore be rede- and using recent credible scientific studies
ger humanitarian crises across the globe. fined to “development that meets the needs and existing international processes — such
Growing affluence and the right to develop- of the present while safeguarding Earth’s as the United Nations Framework Conven-
ment among the world’s poor demand that life-support system, on which the welfare tion on Climate Change — we extracted a
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COMMENT
list of sustainability ‘must-haves’ for human by addressing other sustainability concerns. planet ceases to function for the benefit of a
prosperity (see ‘A unified framework’). The SDG framework manages trade-offs global population. ■
We combined these with the MDG and maximizes synergies between targets,
targets, updated and extended for 2030, and can be implemented from international David Griggs is professor and director of
to produce six SDGs: thriving lives and to city scales. It integrates social, economic the Monash Sustainability Institute, Monash
livelihoods, sustainable food security, and environmental dimensions and pro- University, Victoria 3800, Australia. Mark
sustainable water security, universal clean vides guidance for humanity to pros- Stafford-Smith, Owen Gaffney, Johan
energy, healthy and productive ecosystems, per in the long term. A small number of Rockström, Marcus C. Öhman, Priya
and governance for sustainable societies goals is essential for Shyamsundar, Will Steffen, Gisbert
(see ‘Some provisional targets for 2030’). “None of this focus; others could Glaser, Norichika Kanie, Ian Noble.
The driving principles remain: reduc- is possible be added but should e-mail: [email protected]
ing poverty and hunger, improving health without build on the core six.
1. Steffen, W. et al. Ambio 40, 739–761 (2011).
and well-being and creating sustainable changes to There are many 2. United Nations. The Millennium Development
production and consumption patterns. A the economic gaps and uncertain- Goals Report 2012 (UN, 2012).
3. Rockström, J. et al. Nature 461, 472–475 (2009).
goal of improving lives and livelihoods, for playing field.” ties in our knowledge 4. Biermann, F. et al. Science 335, 1306–1307
example, would promote sustainable access of global environ- (2012).
to food, water and energy while protecting mental risks and how to enable societies to 5. Glaser, G. Nature 491, 35 (2012).
biodiversity and ecosystem services. become resource-efficient, sustainable and 6. Shindell, D. et al. Science 335, 183–189 (2012).
7. Sutton, M. A. et al. Our Nutrient World (Centre for
None of this is possible without changes wealthy. Research initiatives such as Future Ecology and Hydrology, 2013).
to the economic playing field4. National Earth, a ten-year programme coordinated 8. Carpenter, S. R. & Bennett, E. M. Environ. Res.
policies should, like carbon pricing, place a by the International Council for Science5, Lett. 6, 014009 (2011).
9. Smakhtin, V. U. & Batchelor, A. L. Hydrol. Process.
value on natural capital and a cost on unsus- are needed to refine targets and provide 19, 1293–1305 (2005).
tainable actions. International governance sustainable solutions for human well-being. 10. Huntingford, C. et al. Environ. Res. Lett. 7, 014039
of the global commons should be strength- But the first step is for policy-makers to (2012).
ened, for example through binding agree- embrace a unified environmental and social
Supplementary information and full author
ments on climate change, by halting the loss framework for the SDGs, so that today’s affiliations accompany this article online at
of biodiversity and ecosystem services and advances in development are not lost as our go.nature.com/zowqiw.
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