Psychology of sustainability and sustainable development in organizations: Empirical evidence from environment to safety to innovation and future research

The chapter outlines the research area of the psychology of sustainability and sustainable development and its contribution to continuing to open the black box of psychological processes involved. In this framework the chapter presents empirical evidence with studies in relation to various kind of environments: natural, personal, social, and organizational. Then the Sustainable Development Goals Psychological Inventory is presented. This inventory allows to deepen the critical psychological components to promote and support the realization of the 17 sustainable development goals through tailored interventions. Future opportunities for research and interventions are introduced with a particular focus on resources that can be enhanced through specific training in strength-based prevention perspectives. The psychology of sustainability and sustainable development framework opens new trajectories to help achieving development that is both sustainable, and innovative for healthy organizations. Additionally, the psychology of sustainability and sustainable development has analogies and parallels and with the psychology of safety and the psychology of innovation, which can help in understanding the psychology of sustainability and sustainable development, and these are also examined.