IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v12y2020i7p2590-d336717.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Comparing Religious Environmental Ethics to Support Efforts to Achieve Local and Global Sustainability: Empirical Insights Based on a Theoretical Framework

Author

Listed:
  • Fabio Zagonari

    (Dipartimento di Scienze per la Qualità della Vita, Università di Bologna, C.so d’Augusto 237, 47921 Rimini, Italy)

Abstract

This paper develops a theoretical framework to assess the feasibility of environmental sustainability solutions, at local and global levels, based on the religious environmental ethics of several key religions: Hinduism (including Jainism), Buddhism (including Confucianism and Daoism), Judaism, Christianity (Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Protestantism), and Islam. Solutions are defined in terms of consumption (measured by GDP), environment use (measured by the ecological footprint), and welfare for representative individuals. Empirical insights for alternative religious environmental ethics focus on the relative importance attached to the consumption of goods (α) vs. involvement in a (local/global) community, and on the importance attached to the environment within the (local/global) community (μ). In terms of feasibility for national environmental problems (i.e., pairs of α and μ achieving sustainability, in countries where the religion is a majority) and consistency (i.e., coherence with the religion’s precepts) of policies for national environmental problems: Hinduism = uddhism > Islam > Judaism. Christianity produced no feasible solutions. In terms of effectiveness for global environmental problems (i.e., pairs of α and μ achieving global sustainability, if inequalities among nations are reduced in the future) and replicability for local environmental problems (i.e., pairs of α and μ achieving sustainability in countries where the religion is a minority): Hinduism = Buddhism > Judaism > Islam.

Suggested Citation

  • Fabio Zagonari, 2020. "Comparing Religious Environmental Ethics to Support Efforts to Achieve Local and Global Sustainability: Empirical Insights Based on a Theoretical Framework," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-36, March.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:7:p:2590-:d:336717
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/7/2590/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/7/2590/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Matthias Basedau & Simone Gobien & Sebastian Prediger, 2018. "The Multidimensional Effects Of Religion On Socioeconomic Development: A Review Of The Empirical Literature," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(4), pages 1106-1133, September.
    2. Chelsea Harry, 2012. "Seeing the unseen: suggesting points for intersection between Levinasian ethics and the Daoist reverence for all beings," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 2(3), pages 271-274, September.
    3. Mayanka Kala & Aruna Sharma, 2010. "Traditional Indian beliefs: a key toward sustainable living," Environment Systems and Decisions, Springer, vol. 30(1), pages 85-89, March.
    4. Gunnar Gutsche, 2019. "Individual and Regional Christian Religion and the Consideration of Sustainable Criteria in Consumption and Investment Decisions: An Exploratory Econometric Analysis," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 157(4), pages 1155-1182, July.
    5. Fabio Zagonari, 2019. "(Moral) philosophy and (moral) theology can function as (behavioural) science: a methodological framework for interdisciplinary research," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 53(6), pages 3131-3158, November.
    6. Asimina Christoforou, 2013. "On the identity of social capital and the social capital of identity," Cambridge Journal of Economics, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 37(4), pages 719-736.
    7. Basil H. Aboul-Enein, 2018. "“The earth is your mosque”: narrative perspectives of environmental health and education in the Holy Quran," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 8(1), pages 22-31, March.
    8. Walter Alfredo Salas-Zapata & Leonardo Alberto Ríos-Osorio & Jorge Antonio Mejía-Escobar, 2017. "Social-ecological resilience and the quest for sustainability as object of science," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 19(6), pages 2237-2252, December.
    9. Briones Alonso, Elena & Houssa, Romain & Verpoorten, Marijke, 2016. "Voodoo versus fishing committees: The role of traditional and contemporary institutions in fisheries management," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 122(C), pages 61-70.
    10. Fabio Zagonari, 2016. "Four Sustainability Paradigms for Environmental Management: A Methodological Analysis and an Empirical Study Based on 30 Italian Industries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(6), pages 1-34, May.
    11. John M. Clements, 2016. "The Influence of Religiously and Scientifically Framed Messages on Agreement with Water Use Restrictions," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 5(4), pages 1-15, November.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Fabio Zagonari, 2023. "Pope Francis vs. Patriarch Bartholomew to Achieve Global Environmental Sustainability: Theoretical Insights Supported by Empirical Results," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(18), pages 1-19, September.
    2. Fabio Zagonari, 2020. "Environmental sustainability is not worth pursuing unless it is achieved for ethical reasons," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 6(1), pages 1-8, December.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Fabio Zagonari, 2019. "Responsibility, inequality, efficiency, and equity in four sustainability paradigms: insights for the global environment from a cross-development analytical model," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 21(6), pages 2733-2772, December.
    2. Busola D. Akintayo & Oluwafemi E. Ige & Olubayo M. Babatunde & Oludolapo A. Olanrewaju, 2023. "Evaluation and Prioritization of Power-Generating Systems Using a Life Cycle Assessment and a Multicriteria Decision-Making Approach," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(18), pages 1-18, September.
    3. Emmanuel Yeboah-Assiamah & Kobus Muller & Kwame Ameyaw Domfeh, 2018. "‘Complex crisis’ and the rise of collaborative natural resource governance: institutional trajectory of a wildlife governance experience in Ghana," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 20(5), pages 2205-2224, October.
    4. Fumarco, Luca & Principe, Francesco, 2021. "More goals, fewer babies? On national team performance and birth rates," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 208(C).
    5. Alidou, Sahawal & Verpoorten, Marijke, 2019. "Only women can whisper to gods: Voodoo, menopause and women’s autonomy," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 119(C), pages 40-54.
    6. Brunen, Ann-Christine & Laubach, Oliver, 2022. "Do sustainable consumers prefer socially responsible investments? A study among the users of robo advisors," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 136(C).
    7. Yulia Gruzina & Irina Firsova & Wadim Strielkowski, 2021. "Dynamics of Human Capital Development in Economic Development Cycles," Economies, MDPI, vol. 9(2), pages 1-18, May.
    8. Paweł Ziemba & Jarosław Wątróbski & Magdalena Zioło & Artur Karczmarczyk, 2017. "Using the PROSA Method in Offshore Wind Farm Location Problems," Energies, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-20, November.
    9. Ziegler, Andreas, 2020. "Heterogeneous preferences and the individual change to alternative electricity contracts," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    10. Melike Kökkizil, 2022. "Parental Religiosity and Missing School-Girls in Turkey," BEMPS - Bozen Economics & Management Paper Series BEMPS91, Faculty of Economics and Management at the Free University of Bozen.
    11. Yu-Shan Chen & Cui Wang & Ying-Rong Chen & Wei-Yuan Lo & Kuan-Ling Chen, 2019. "Influence of Network Embeddedness and Network Diversity on Green Innovation: The Mediation Effect of Green Social Capital," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(20), pages 1-17, October.
    12. Muhammad Javed SHEIKH & Ma'rof REDZUAN & Asnarulkhadi Abu SAMAH & Nobaya AHMAD, 2015. "Identifying sources of social capital among the farmers of the rural Sindh province of Pakistan," Agricultural Economics, Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences, vol. 61(4), pages 189-195.
    13. Castriota, Stefano & Rondinella, Sandro & Tonin, Mirco, 2023. "Does social capital matter? A study of hit-and-run in US counties," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 329(C).
    14. Badaoui, Eliane, 2023. "Which dimensions of religiosity matter for trust? New insights from the MENA region," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 167(C).
    15. Mohammad Tariq Al Fozaie, 2023. "Behavior, religion, and socio-economic development: a synthesized theoretical framework," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-15, December.
    16. Brenda Gannon & Jennifer Roberts, 2020. "Social capital: exploring the theory and empirical divide," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 58(3), pages 899-919, March.
    17. Goytom Abraha Kahsay & Workineh Asmare Kassie & Haileselassie Medhin & Lars Gårn Hansen, 2022. "Are religious farmers more risk taking? Empirical evidence from Ethiopia," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 53(4), pages 617-632, July.
    18. Luke Barber & Michael Jetter & Tim Krieger, 2023. "Foreshadowing Mars: Religiosity and Pre-Enlightenment Warfare," CESifo Working Paper Series 10806, CESifo.
    19. Pankov, Susanne & Schneckenberg, Dirk & Velamuri, Vivek K., 2021. "Advocating sustainability in entrepreneurial ecosystems: Micro-level practices of sharing ventures," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 166(C).
    20. Sharma, Rajat & Jha, Mithileshwar, 2017. "Values influencing sustainable consumption behaviour: Exploring the contextual relationship," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 77-88.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:7:p:2590-:d:336717. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.