Issue 3: Wellbeing and sustainability

What’s the link between wellbeing and sustainability?

In the first two instalments, we talked about how the ONS4 questions on subjective wellbeing are used to inform vital research and policy, and how wellbeing valuation can be incorporated into a cost benefit analysis.

This time, we're introducing a series of posts on sustainability and wellbeing...

It’s now relatively common to see wellbeing valuation applied to projects designed to improve outcomes like employability or to understand the impact of a sports programme.

But you might not know that similar approaches can be applied to sustainable development, green infrastructure projects or those initiatives designed to improve environmental outcomes.

So, how can we use wellbeing to help inform these projects and optimise decision making? And what are the links between wellbeing and sustainability more widely?

Here's the summary:

✅ 1. Retro fit doesn’t just help make homes more sustainable; these projects also improve the wellbeing of people living in the home.

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✅ 2. There are wide-ranging applications – from understanding behaviours and attitudes towards the environment through to the value we place on green infrastructure and amenities.

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✅ 3. SDGs are strongly linked with determinants of wellbeing, but more research is needed to fully understand these links and to implement them in decision-making.

See below for more of our project work and accessible advice, including case studies on our work with the BBC,a blog on climate anxiety, insights on links between climate change and nudgetheory, and more!

If you’d like to find out more about how you can integrate wellbeing into your sustainable development or green infrastructure project, get in touch with us today – book your free 1-1 with Chief Economist Edward Dallas.

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