Biodiversity and Relational Values

Abstract

The concept of relational values has emerged in the arena of biodiversity and sustainability science in the past decade. Relational values are values that pertain to relationships between people and nature or among people through nature, and they include preferences and principles associated with those relationships. They offer an alternative to the established dichotomy of ways to value nature—i.e., instrumental value (value of nature as a means to human ends) versus intrinsic value (value of nature for its own sake and irrespective of humans). Relational values have three core characteristics: they foreground relationships, are not solely instrumental, and are non-substitutable. They can be important in research and policy related to biodiversity for multiple reasons, including that they contribute to epistemic justice by incorporating a broader array of understandings of why nature matters to people. Relational values have been integrated into global environmental policy-making discussions, notably through the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. Empirical research increasingly employs the relational values concept to understand why nature is important to people and how relational values may be related to behavior. Future steps for relational values include expanded empirical exploration of the concept, theory development, and integration with decision-making.