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Economic insecurity, conservatism, and the crisis of environmentalism: 30 years of evidence

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  • Panarello, Demetrio

Abstract

There is an ongoing scientific debate about how environmental concern develops in a population, and under which circumstances it might decline at some point. In this paper, by analysing thirty years of microdata from the German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP), I investigate the role of socioeconomic factors and political preferences in altering and addressing environmental perceptions in Germany, Europe's green leader. Results from correlated random-effects models reveal, inter alia, that economic insecurity and support for right-wing political parties significantly contribute to lowering environmental concern. Hence, policymakers ought to focus on economic insecurity in order to increase citizens' environmental concern and, eventually, bring an enhancement in pro-environmental behaviour as a result of the voters' political will.

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  • Panarello, Demetrio, 2021. "Economic insecurity, conservatism, and the crisis of environmentalism: 30 years of evidence," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:soceps:v:73:y:2021:i:c:s003801211930566x
    DOI: 10.1016/j.seps.2020.100925
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    1. Gennaro Punzo & Demetrio Panarello & Rosalia Castellano, 2022. "Sustainable urban mobility: evidence from three developed European countries," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 56(5), pages 3135-3157, October.
    2. Tayyaba Rani & Feng Wang & Fawad Rauf & Qurat ul Ain & Hamid Ali, 2023. "Linking personal remittance and fossil fuels energy consumption to environmental degradation: evidence from all SAARC countries," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 25(8), pages 8447-8468, August.
    3. Gianluigi Cisco & Andrea Gatto, 2021. "Climate Justice in an Intergenerational Sustainability Framework: A Stochastic OLG Model," Economies, MDPI, vol. 9(2), pages 1-13, April.
    4. Marc Dressler, 2023. "Sustainable Business Model Design: A Multi-Case Approach Exploring Generic Strategies and Dynamic Capabilities on the Example of German Wine Estates," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-19, February.
    5. Ljiljana Bozic, 2021. "Attitudes Towards Climate Change and Electric Car Purchase – The Case of European Consumers," Tržište/Market, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Zagreb, vol. 33(SI), pages 81-94.
    6. Giovanni Busetta & Maria Gabriella Campolo & Demetrio Panarello, 2023. "Economic expectations and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic: a one-year longitudinal evaluation on Italian university students," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 57(1), pages 59-76, February.
    7. Marc Dressler, 2023. "Generic strategic profiling of entrepreneurial SMEs – environmentalism as hygiene factor," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 19(1), pages 121-150, March.
    8. Panarello, Demetrio & Gatto, Andrea, 2023. "Decarbonising Europe – EU citizens’ perception of renewable energy transition amidst the European Green Deal," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 172(C).

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