An environmental value system is a model showing how different inputs shape an individual’s or group’s environmental perspectives and how those perspectives produce outputs such as decisions, communication, and actions. In IB ESS Subtopic 1.1 Perspectives, this is core content for both SL and HL.
How the Model Works
The model can be understood as a sequence:
Inputs → processing through values and beliefs → environmental perspective → outputs
Inputs influence what people consider important. These influences are interpreted through values, which are principles or qualities considered worthwhile, and beliefs about the relationship between humans and nature. This produces a perspective: how an environmental situation is viewed and understood.
| Inputs affecting perspectives | Outputs resulting from perspectives |
|---|---|
| Sociocultural norms and lived experience | Personal behaviour and consumer choices |
| Scientific understanding and education | Communication, advertising, and media messages |
| Religion, philosophy, and political ideology | Government policies and laws |
| Economic conditions and available technology | Business decisions and technological responses |
| Local or global events | Campaigns, protests, conservation, or resource use |
For example, scientific evidence of ozone depletion, media attention, and concern about human health acted as inputs. These helped shape public and governmental perspectives, contributing to the Montreal Protocol and restrictions on ozone-depleting substances as outputs.
Environmental perspectives may be broadly classified along a spectrum as ecocentric, anthropocentric, or technocentric. However, these are broad categories rather than fixed boxes: a person may combine perspectives, and their position can change as inputs change.
A common misconception is that an environmental value system is simply an environmental opinion. It is specifically an input-output model explaining how influences are processed into perspectives and observable responses. The 2026 syllabus writes the term in full rather than abbreviating it.
Exam Technique
For a definition question, state both parts: inputs affect perspectives, and perspectives produce outputs. For an explain question, use a named environmental issue and trace at least one input through values or beliefs to a specific action, policy, or decision.
