Conceptualising sustainability through environmental stewardship and virtuous cycles—a new empirically-grounded model

Abstract

Humans depend on earth’s ecosystems and in the Anthropocene, ecosystems are increasingly impacted by human activities. Sustainability—the long-term integrity of social–ecological systems—depends on effective environmental stewardship, yet current conceptual frameworks often lack empirical validation and are limited in their ability to show progress towards sustainability goals. In this study we examine institutional and local stewardship actions and their ecological and social outcomes along 7000 km of Australia’s coastline. We use empirical mixed methods and grounded theory to show that the combination of local and institutional stewardship leads to improved ecological outcomes, which in turn enhance social values and motivate further stewardship to form a virtuous cycle. Virtuous cycles may proceed over multiple iterations, which we represent in a new spiral model enabling visualisation of progress towards sustainability goals over time. Our study has important implications for collaborative earth stewardship and the role of policy in enabling virtuous cycles to ultimately realise sustainable futures.

Spread of the cycles: a feedback perspective on the Anthropocene

“…If more sustainable systems are to out-spread fossil-fuelled industrialized systems, they are going to need strong reinforcing feedbacks behind them. Such 'virtuous cycles' [116] of uptake of sustainable options, if they get strong enough, can become self-propelling [117][118][119][120][121]. In the Global North, already in the modern growth regime, the question is: how can more sustainable systems spread at the expense of incumbent systems (i.e.…”

Operationalising positive tipping points towards global sustainability

“…For example, marine-protected areas rejuvenate fisheries causing people to create additional marine-protected areas (Mascia & Mills, 2018). Environmental stewardship improves reef ecology, enhancing social values and motivating further stewardship (Turnbull, Clark, & Johnston, 2021). If positive feedback is strong enough, this can generate tipping points that are not present in either system alone.…”

Entrepreneurial dynamism and sustainability: Unveiling Europe’s economic growth patterns through cluster analysis

“…As frontrunners in sustainable practices, countries in Cluster 1 should lead by example, implementing policies that incentivize sustainable business practices, investing in renewable energy, and actively contributing to international efforts in climate change mitigation and environmental conservation (Turnbull et al, 2021).…”