SCIENTIFIC AND METHODOLOGICAL JUSTIFICATION OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL CULTURE INDEX AS AN INTEGRAL INDICATOR OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF SOCIETY

Abstract

The article examines the conceptual, theoretical, and methodological foundations for developing the Environmental Culture Index (ECI) as an integral indicator of the level of sustainable development of society. The relevance of the study is determined by the need to consider cultural, value-based, and behavioral factors in the processes of society’s ecological transformation, since the modern paradigm of sustainable development requires the integration of environmental, economic, social, and humanitarian dimensions. The lack of unified quantitative indicators that comprehensively characterize the level of environmental culture among the population complicates the assessment of the effectiveness of state environmental policy, education programs for sustainable development, and communication strategies in the field of environmental protection. The purpose of the article is to provide a scientific and methodological rationale for the development of an integrated Environmental Culture Index that can be used as a tool for quantitative assessment of the state of environmental awareness, behavioral models, and civic engagement in the context of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. The methodological basis of the study includes methods of system, comparative, and structural-functional analysis, statistical modeling, expert evaluation, content analysis, and sociological survey. The application of a systemic approach made it possible to define the structure of the ECI as a multidimensional system encompassing five interrelated components: the cognitive component, which reflects the level of environmental knowledge and awareness of the population; the value-emotional component, which characterizes attitudes toward environmental problems and willingness to act for the benefit of the environment; the behavioral component, which captures environmentally oriented practices in everyday life; the social-institutional component, related to the activities of government bodies, public organizations, and businesses; and the communication component, which covers information flows, media activity, and educational campaigns. The scientific novelty of the obtained results lies in the formation of a conceptual model of the Environmental Culture Index that combines qualitative sociological and quantitative statistical parameters, as well as in the development of a methodology for its construction based on indicator normalization, component weighting, and integration into a single generalized assessment. It has been proven that the ECI can serve not only as a tool for monitoring the state of environmental culture in different regions but also as an analytical criterion for assessing the effectiveness of state policy in the field of environmental education, information transparency, civil society development, and environmental governance. The practical significance of the study lies in the possibility of applying the ECI for comparative regional analysis, developing regional programs to enhance environmental culture, evaluating the effectiveness of educational and communication projects, forming a system of indicators for national reporting on the Sustainable Development Goals, and improving environmental management mechanisms. The results obtained can be used by government authorities, educational institutions, research organizations, and non-governmental organizations to improve the effectiveness of measures aimed at fostering an environmentally conscious society and implementing the strategic priorities of Ukraine’s environmental policy in the context of European integration.