Reconceptualising Sustainable Intelligence as a Multidimensional Psychological Capability

Abstract

Sustainable Intelligence (SI) has emerged as a crucial concept, particularly in sustainability and environmental studies. Despite its growing popularity among scholars across various fields, including education, organisations, community, tourism, and environment, SI still lacks a robust definition and confusing dimensions that can alter the content of studies. This paper aims to refine the SI framework by integrating perspectives from ecological intelligence, environmental ethics, systems intelligence, and cognitive sustainability. Through this integration, SI is presented as a multidimensional approach that can enhance environmental quality and improve practicality for stakeholders, promoting a long-term, positive impact on sustainability. The refinement provides a clearer context for sustainability, closing the gap between knowledge of sustainability and sustained behavioural change, and highlights its functionality across various sectors. By strengthening the SI framework, it can be applied by scholars, thereby reducing the research gap and increasing the likelihood of its application in future empirical research to foster sustainability-oriented thinking and behaviour.