Ethics as a Missing Link Between Human Happiness and Environmental Sustainability

Katherine Carron and Elena Lioubimtseva ()
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Katherine Carron: Environmental and Sustainability Studies Program, Grand Valley State University, 1 Campus Drive, Allendale, MI 49401, USA
Elena Lioubimtseva: Geography and Sustainable Planning Department, Grand Valley State University, 1 Campus Drive, Allendale, MI 40401, USA

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 4, 1-29

Abstract: This pilot study examines the complex interplay between human happiness and environmental sustainability through the lens of environmental ethics. Using a mixed-methods approach with surveys and interviews, it investigates how self-reported happiness is related to access to nature, environmental concerns, attitudes towards sustainability, and ethical values. Both surveys and interviews revealed a dominance of biospheric and altruistic ethical values and strong environmental concerns among the participants, often expressed from an anthropocentric perspective. The findings suggest that fostering environmental ethics could bridge the gap between happiness and sustainability. Despite the study limitations, such as geographical constraints and a small survey sample, it contributes a novel framework that can be replicated and adapted for larger-scale cross-cultural studies.

Keywords: happiness; sustainability; environment; ethics; community; well-being (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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