Abstract:
It is becoming increasingly more apparent that today’s societies and economies are faced with multiple,
interconnected challenges, such as climate change and significant ecosystem degradation; but it also has the
unique opportunity to design and create a sustainable living for posterity. These challenges that necessitate the
development of capable, responsible and effective ethical environmental frameworks are crucial to forming and
implementing humane and sustainable societies and economies. There has been an explosion of concern in world
economies and societies about the destruction of the environment leading to inhumane and unsustainable living.
In response to these concerns, a range of environmental ethical philosophies that foster sustainable development
have been developed by environmentalists, ethicists and philosophers. The philosophy of sustainable
development offers new moral and ethical ideals for environmental concerns and has been widely adopted
globally by many societies, leaders and economies. While many projects are guided by the principles of
sustainable development, an environmental ethic has not fully been engendered in the process. Despite
widespread environmental concerns, many global societies and economies, in general, focus on the domination
of nature through science, technology, engineering, innovation and leadership, and ignore surrounding natural
ecosystems. In this regard, it is urgently required that an environmental ethical theory which can be inculcated as
a driver to the global societies and economies’ behaviour be embraced. From the theoretical analysis of different
views and debates of scholars and researchers on sustainability and environmental stability, this paper therefore
recommends that there is a need for societies and economies to adopt ethical duties and virtues of a ‘green’ and
sustainable society with an emphasis on positive environmental ends. This is because if societies and economies
are to reduce their impact on the environment and preserve it for future generations, it is imperative that their
actions are challenged and that they adopt new ways of revamping and protecting the environment to create a
humane and a self sustaining world.
