Well-being and Sustainable Development: An Exploratory Approach from a Marketing Perspective

Since the publishing of the Brundtland Report (1987), which formally introduced, defined, and approached the concept of sustainable development creating the framework for its implementation, the concern for preserving what we have for future generations has steadily and significantly increased. Consumers, citizens, businesses, and public entities have acknowledged the need to ensure an appropriate economic, social, and environmental development capable of providing a sustainable common future. Strategies, plans, and programs have been drafted, projects and activities have been conducted, and a huge amount of practical experience, as well as a rich dedicated scientific literature, has been accumulated. The tremendous effort that has led to the SDGs, Net Zero, and Green Deal has been designed and implemented from a societal perspective under a vision underlining the prevalence of the common or greater over the individual good, the last one being the consequence of the overall development of the society. What if the perspective changes by focusing on the individuals and individual good considering the greater or common good as an aggregate result achieved by the entire society by adding the state of well-being experienced by each and every individual? Viewing the subject from a marketing angle, the aggregated well-being of individuals should generate an overall sustainable development of society. The article presents and discusses the findings of exploratory research assessing the connections between individual well-being and sustainable development.