Sustainable development at the crossroads: Navigating eco-humanism and eco-modernism

This review examines theoretical and practical tensions between eco-humanism and eco-modernism, two frameworks for sustainable development. In eco-humanism, humans are considered close to nature and promote ethical stewardship and community-based sustainability efforts. In contrast, eco-modernism emphasises technological advancements that can solve environmental problems while sustaining economic growth. It discusses the synergies and contradictions that result from such opposite ideologies. Initiatives like renewable energy projects and precision agriculture show synergies between technological development and social equity targets. However, there are contradictions when technological solutions bypass ethical considerations, as in large-scale projects without community consultation. The review also considers how to integrate these frameworks, where priorities differ, and technological optimism might overshadow necessary behavior changes. It demonstrates how interdisciplinarity in research, inclusive education, and policymaking can close the gap between eco-humanism and eco-modernism. This paper concludes that human-centred ethics combined with technological innovation constitute a viable way forward towards sustainable development. By embracing both ideologies, future sustainability efforts can be more inclusive, just, and effective in tackling global environmental and social problems.