An Attitude Model of Environmental Action Evidence from Developing and Developed Countries

• Published in: Social indicators research Vol. 143; no. 2; pp. 811 - 838
• Main Authors: Davino, Cristina, Vinzi, Vincenzo Esposito, Santacreu-Vasut, Estefania, Vranceanu, Radu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Science + Business Media 01.06.2019; Springer Netherlands; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Action; Climate; Developed countries; Developed Nations; Developing countries; Environment; Environmental awareness; Environmental protection; Environmental stewardship; Human Geography; Influence of Technology; LDCs; Least Squares Statistics; Microeconomics; Multivariate Analysis; Nongovernmental Organizations; Nonprofit organizations; Political Affiliation; Polls & surveys; Private sector; Public Health; Quality of Life Research; School Policy; Science and technology; Social capital; Social Indicators; Social research; Social Sciences; Sociology; Taxes; Technology; Water Pollution; World Problems; Development; Environmental attitudes; Multivariate analysis; Partial least squares; Culture
• ISSN: 0303-8300; 1573-0921
• DOI: 10.1007/s11205-018-1983-3

This paper analyzes the determinants of stated individual support towards environmental action. The analysis is realized by means of an original Partial Least Squares Path model of Environmental Awareness-Social Capital-Action and it is based on survey data provided in the fifth wave of the World Values Survey (2005–2009) regarding 34.612 individuals from 42 different countries. Besides the global estimates obtained on the whole set of countries, the paper proposes a subsample analysis for developed and developing countries, as well as country analyses for four major economies: China, India, Germany and the United States. We find that environmental awareness and trust in not-for-profit organizations are important determinants of individual action in support of environmentally friendly policies. In general, trust in science and technology does not crowd-out individual support towards the environment.