Environmental citizenship: towards sustainable development

TLDR

Sustainable development requires changes in the behaviour of individuals, institutions, and organizations. The article investigates how best to induce such behavioural changes. The authors compare fiscal incentives with an environmental citizenship approach based on justice considerations, and propose a high‑school citizenship curriculum to foster ecological citizenship. They distinguish behaviour change from attitude change, arguing that targeting attitudes yields more lasting behaviour changes. © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.

Abstract

Abstract It is assumed that changes in the behaviour of individuals, institutions and organizations are a prerequisite for sustainable development. This article broaches the question of how best to bring about such change. A distinction is drawn between changes in behaviour and changes in attitudes, and it is argued that attendance to the latter will lead to more secure and long‐lasting changes in the former. Fiscal incentives, as a means of changing behaviour, are compared and contrasted with the ‘environmental citizenship’ route to attitude change, rooted in considerations of justice and injustice. Finally, the citizenship curriculum at high school level is considered as a way of promoting environmental or ecological citizenship. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.