Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs maps human motivation from basic needs such as food and warmth, through to “self-actualisation”.

It’s a timeless model that helps us understand what drives us.

The hierarchy is often depicted as a pyramid as shown below.

The idea is that every individual needs to satisfy the needs described in the lower levels, before they’re in a position to satisfy the needs of the higher levels.

Is Maslow’s Hierarchy built on an assumed foundation?

But what if the hierarchy is missing a vital piece?

In order to be able to satisfy the pyramid’s first level of “basic needs” - food, water, warmth and rest - there is an implied foundational truth that underpins the whole pyramid, let’s call it “environmental needs”.

To be able to satisfy the needs of food, water, warmth and rest we must live in an environment that is stable, predictable and secure. Which suggests we need to live somewhere that doesn’t experience extreme weather events. Somewhere that provides reliable, continued access to clean water, air and soil. And somewhere that experiences regular, repeating seasons that can be planned for and leveraged to provide our basic needs.

How might we rethink human motivation in an era of climate change?

When Maslow introduced his theory in 1943, a stable climate was an unspoken given for most of the world’s population. Today, however, that assumption is increasingly fragile. Extreme weather events and climate uncertainty challenge the very foundation upon which our basic needs - and by extension, Maslow’s entire hierarchy - are built.

Thinking about his theory this way raises intriguing questions about how we might rethink human motivation in an era of climate change. Might incorporating an “environmental needs” layer into the hierarchy reshape our understanding of everything from individual behaviour to business strategy and public policy?