Planetary citizenship provides a scale for the sustainability transformation

Sustainability is a popular concept. It gets linked to a multitude of things by environmental organisations and NGOs in their statements, by ministers in their speeches, and by companies in their advertising slogans. But is sustainability a sustainable concept in itself, or is it just a symbol of the zeitgeist?

“When the concept is used everywhere, it gets inflated, and that’s a weakness. On the other hand, the strength of sustainability lies in the fact that it is a bridging concept that brings together people from all walks of life. Just ten years ago, sustainability was seen as fanatical green thinking, but now we understand that it is a necessity,” Professor Arto O. Salonen says.

New concepts are constantly emerging alongside sustainability. The idea of planetary citizenship, which provides a new kind of perspective to being human, is gaining momentum. A planetary citizen is responsible and understands the impact of their everyday choices on the common future of mankind on this unique planet.

“More than ever before, the stability of the foundation of life depends on humans. Mass consumption, increasingly individualistic lifestyles and population growth have turned the planetary approach into a necessity. The sphere of impact people have today is not only global, but also brings together human and non-human aspects of reality.”

Planetary citizenship is also directly linked to the field of Salonen’s professorship: this May, he started as Professor of Social Pedagogy, focusing especially on sustainable well-being, in the Department of Social Sciences at the University of Eastern Finland.

“From the point of view of social pedagogy, the way in which we live in the world and how that changes, are essential. On a planet with limited resources, the way humans exist gets challenged, but people can learn new things and grow in their humanity. Social pedagogy is at the heart of this transformation. The precondition for a good future is to learn to live within the limits of this planet, since there is no ‘planet B’.”

Sustainable life should be facilitated through policy measures

Salonen is a well-known advocate of sustainability. His areas of expertise, such as sustainable society and the pursuit of meaningful life, seem tremendously broad. Yet, one can drill into large themes by breaking them down into smaller components.

“Research on sustainable well-being can be approached through societal structures or human lifestyles, in other words, either from the direction of policy measures, or from the direction of citizens’ behaviour and their ways of existence. When it comes to lifestyles, things get very concrete: how we move, what we eat, how we consume, how materials circulate, what is the foundation of our well-being, and can that foundation rely more on sustainable factors of well-being.”

According to Salonen, the key question is how to persistently move from the pursuit of material good towards more immaterial sources of well-being.

“The maximisation of material good runs against the limits of our planet. However, there is no limit to making life richer and more meaningful. Knowledge increases when it is shared, trust grows when trust is shown, and life carries when everyday joys and sorrows are shared,” Salonen explains.

Salonen says that above all, the sustainability transformation requires policy measures. In practice, this can, for example, be a question of imposing heavier taxes on things that are not wanted and, correspondingly, easing taxes on things that are preferred. Salonen is confident that people’s values are already sufficiently in favour of sustainable well-being in order for change to be possible.

“If we want the sustainability transformation is to be implemented quickly, then it is first and foremost a political change that makes a desired type of citizenship feasible. In the end, people are looking for an everyday life that is easy and runs smoothly, and where everyday choices are affordable.”

Creative solutions and an active attitude towards the future

Salonen is a member of the Finnish Expert Panel for Sustainable Development, which highlights the perspectives of research in the targeting of policy measures in the transition to a more sustainable society. Research is needed, above all, to find solutions.

“There are already enough of those who can identify problems, but how can we find solutions to them? This is an era of creative problem-solving, and that interests me personally,” Salonen says.

Instead of becoming paralysed, feeling isolated or dealing with dystopian images, Salonen highlights an active attitude towards life and a future that is created together.

“We easily think that the future is a straightforward continuum of the past. Yet, our future can be better than our past would let us assume. The charm is in that the future can be built because it doesn’t yet exist.”

In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, people are also longing for the “good old days”. However, many see the pandemic as an opportunity to head in a completely new direction, such as permanently reducing consumption.

“The pandemic has given us an opportunity to look at what makes life worth living. For example, the popularity of camping and cycling has grown a lot. Every kilometre cycled or walked is good not only for people, but also for our society and the planet. Finding solutions where everyone wins is key.”

Arto O. Salonen

• Professor of Social Pedagogy, especially sustainable well-being, University of Eastern Finland, 1 May 2021–
• Doctor of Education, University of Helsinki, 2010
• Awarded titles of Docent: National Defence University, Sustainable Development (2019), University of Eastern Finland, Ecosocial Welfare Research (2018), and University of Helsinki, Education (2013).

Key roles

• Associate Professor (Tenure Track), University of Eastern Finland, 2018–2021.
• Postdoctoral Researcher, National Defence University, 2016– 2019.
• Research Director, Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, 2016–2018.