Current and Future Friends of the Earth: Assessing Cross-National Theories of Environmental Attitudes

Karen Stenner and Zim Nwokora
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Karen Stenner: Behavioural Economics Team, Behavioural & Social Sciences Group, Adaptive Social & Economic Systems Program, CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation), Dutton Park, Queensland 4102, Australia
Zim Nwokora: Law School, University of Melbourne, Carlton, Victoria 3053, Australia

Energies, 2015, vol. 8, issue 6, 1-21

Abstract: Empirical studies of public opinion on environmental protection have typically been grounded in Inglehart’s post-materialism thesis, proposing that societal affluence encourages materially-sated publics to look beyond their interests and value the environment. These studies are generally conducted within, or at best across, Western, democratic, industrialized countries. Absence of truly cross-cultural research means the theory’s limitations have gone undetected. This article draws on an exceptionally broad dataset—pooling cross-sectional survey data from 80 countries, each sampled at up to three different points over 15 years—to investigate environmental attitudes. We find that post-materialism provides little account of pro-environment attitudes across diverse cultures, and a far from adequate explanation even in the affluent West. We suggest that unique domestic interests, more than broad value systems, are driving emerging global trends in environmental attitudes. The environment’s future champions may be the far from ‘post-material’ citizens of those developing nations most at risk of real material harm from climate change and environmental degradation.

Keywords: public opinion; environmentalism; postmaterialism; climate change; globalization (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: 2015
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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