Self-interest and conservation at odds, says report

Appeals to financial self-interest, partnerships with business and the language of valuing nature could be counterproductive for those promoting sustainability, according to a new report.

The Common Cause for Nature study, published on 12 August, draws this conclusion from an analysis of 13 NGOs’ campaign communications carried out by academics at three universities and the Public Interest Research Centre (PIRC).

Ralph Underhill, PIRC project officer and one of the report authors, said “Research shows that using economic terminology and treating people as self-interested consumers only serves to make them more self-interested.”