Sustainability: Science, Practice, & Policy (Jul 2014)
Community Essay: Social norms, happiness, and the environment: closing the circle
Abstract
Author’s Personal Statement: When social scientists and policy makers approach sustainable development, their policy tools usually include a variety of taxes and regulations aimed at influencing economic behavior of the sort traditionally assumed by economists. Such measures are likely to fall far short of what is needed to achieve the required reductions in emissions, do not embody life satisfaction as the desired outcome, and ignore what well-being research has to say about the well-springs of human behavior. In this essay, I present evidence showing how the malleability and importance of social norms combine with the well-being benefits of pro-social acts to offer a powerful new path to sustainability. If people really are happier working together for a worthy purpose, this exposes a multitude of win-win solutions to material problems, thereby building community while meeting material needs.
