The Effect of Environmental Degradation, Climate Change, and the European Green Deal Tools on Life Satisfaction

Manuela Ortega-Gil, Georgina Cortés-Sierra and Chaima ElHichou-Ahmed
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Manuela Ortega-Gil: Department of General Economy and INDESS, University of Cadiz, 11202 Algeciras, Spain
Georgina Cortés-Sierra: Department of Economy and Economic History Study Group, University of Extremadura, 06006 Badajoz, Spain
Chaima ElHichou-Ahmed: Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y Empresariales in Campus de Algeciras, University of Cadiz, 11202 Algeciras, Spain

Energies, 2021, vol. 14, issue 18, 1-14

Abstract: Environmental issues, sustainability, and climate change have become the targets of many policies from international and governmental organizations including the EU’s European Green Deal action plan. This plan provides tools to address them—which include support for the circular economy, implementation of energy and environmental taxes, and investment in environmental protection—with the aim of favoring the well-being of EU citizens. In this context, this study analyses the impact of several parameters (environmental matters, global warming, circular economy, energy and environmental taxes, and expenditure and investment on the environment) on life satisfaction, or subjective well-being, and their effects on 33 European countries. For this purpose, four econometric models were carried out using data collected from the World Values Survey (WVS), the European Values Study (EVS), and the World Bank and Eurostat, reflecting subjective citizen satisfaction data. The findings present a highly significant inverse relationship between life satisfaction variables and both environmental problems and energy taxes. Additionally, there is a highly significant positive relationship between circular economy, environmental tax, and environmental protection expenditure parameters and life satisfaction variables, as well as, to a lesser degree of significance, with noise pollution from neighbours.

Keywords: European Green Deal; satisfaction life; environment; climate change; circular economy; energy and environmental taxes; investment on environmental protection (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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