IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jeners/v14y2021i7p1934-d527649.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Attitudes and Behaviors Regarding Environmental Protection in the Financial Decisions of Individual Consumers

Author

Listed:
  • Damian Walczak

    (Department of Financial Management, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Gagarina 13A, 87-100 Toruń, Poland)

  • Leszek Dziawgo

    (Department of Financial Management, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Gagarina 13A, 87-100 Toruń, Poland)

  • Danuta Dziawgo

    (Department of Financial Accounting, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Gagarina 13A, 87-100 Toruń, Poland)

  • Michał Buszko

    (Department of Financial Management, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Gagarina 13A, 87-100 Toruń, Poland)

  • Jarosław Pawłowski

    (Department of Financial Management, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Gagarina 13A, 87-100 Toruń, Poland)

  • Agnieszka Żołądkiewicz-Kuzioła

    (Department of Financial Management, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Gagarina 13A, 87-100 Toruń, Poland)

  • Dorota Krupa

    (Department of Financial Management, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Gagarina 13A, 87-100 Toruń, Poland)

Abstract

Insufficient environment protection may have serious ecological consequences, resulting in a number of problems in the modern world, many of which are a direct result of human behavior. Therefore, one needs to limit negative ecological effects by consciously shaping environment-related behaviors. The present paper analyzes the declared attitudes of individuals when it comes to taking into consideration pro-environmental factors, including energy, consumption, and waste. We have also studied the social awareness of the socially responsible investment idea, as well as pro-ecological individual behaviors related to private finance. Our survey study, conducted on a representative sample of 1030 Polish respondents, shows that participants’ individual features have little impact on pro-ecological decisions, and that declared pro-ecological attitudes are not reflected in actual behaviors. Polish consumers are still not active enough in making decisions concerning pro-ecological actions, first of all, in terms of energy and waste. As a result of the conducted research, we suggest increasing all activities in the field of environmental policy that could increase the participation of society in facilitating sustainable development.

Suggested Citation

  • Damian Walczak & Leszek Dziawgo & Danuta Dziawgo & Michał Buszko & Jarosław Pawłowski & Agnieszka Żołądkiewicz-Kuzioła & Dorota Krupa, 2021. "Attitudes and Behaviors Regarding Environmental Protection in the Financial Decisions of Individual Consumers," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-13, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:14:y:2021:i:7:p:1934-:d:527649
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/14/7/1934/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/14/7/1934/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Mehmet Huseyin Bilgin & Hakan Danis & Ender Demir & Ugur Can (ed.), 2018. "Eurasian Business Perspectives," Eurasian Studies in Business and Economics, Springer, number 978-3-319-67913-6, July.
    2. Leszek Dziawgo, 2014. "Greening financial market," Copernican Journal of Finance & Accounting, Uniwersytet Mikolaja Kopernika, vol. 3(2), pages 9-24.
    3. Brent, Daniel A. & Ward, Michael B., 2018. "Energy efficiency and financial literacy," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 90(C), pages 181-216.
    4. Zerbib, Olivier David, 2019. "The effect of pro-environmental preferences on bond prices: Evidence from green bonds," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 98(C), pages 39-60.
    5. Rossi, Mariacristina & Sansone, Dario & van Soest, Arthur & Torricelli, Costanza, 2019. "Household preferences for socially responsible investments," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 107-120.
    6. Mehmet Huseyin Bilgin & Hakan Danis & Ender Demir & Uchenna Tony-Okeke (ed.), 2020. "Eurasian Business Perspectives," Eurasian Studies in Business and Economics, Springer, number 978-3-030-48505-4, July.
    7. Mehmet Huseyin Bilgin & Hakan Danis & Ender Demir & Ahmet Faruk Aysan (ed.), 2020. "Eurasian Business Perspectives," Eurasian Studies in Business and Economics, Springer, number 978-3-030-40160-3, July.
    8. Mehmet Huseyin Bilgin & Hakan Danis & Ender Demir & Ugur Can (ed.), 2016. "Business Challenges in the Changing Economic Landscape - Vol. 2," Eurasian Studies in Business and Economics, Springer, edition 1, number 978-3-319-22593-7, July.
    9. Mehmet Huseyin Bilgin & Hakan Danis & Ender Demir & Ugur Can (ed.), 2018. "Eurasian Economic Perspectives," Eurasian Studies in Business and Economics, Springer, number 978-3-319-67916-7, July.
    10. Meyer, Andrew, 2015. "Does education increase pro-environmental behavior? Evidence from Europe," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 116(C), pages 108-121.
    11. Justyna Zabawa & Cyprian Kozyra, 2020. "Eco-Banking in Relation to Financial Performance of the Sector—The Evidence from Poland," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(6), pages 1-23, March.
    12. Arminda do Pa�o & Helena Alves & Chris Shiel & Walter Leal Filho, 2013. "A multi-country level analysis of the environmental attitudes and behaviours among young consumers," Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 56(10), pages 1532-1548, December.
    13. Henri Servaes & Ane Tamayo, 2013. "The Impact of Corporate Social Responsibility on Firm Value: The Role of Customer Awareness," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 59(5), pages 1045-1061, May.
    14. Scott J. Callan & Janet M. Thomas, 2006. "Analyzing Demand For Disposal And Recycling Services: A Systems Approach," Eastern Economic Journal, Eastern Economic Association, vol. 32(2), pages 221-240, Spring.
    15. Mehmet Huseyin Bilgin & Hakan Danis & Ender Demir (ed.), 2020. "Eurasian Economic Perspectives," Eurasian Studies in Business and Economics, Springer, number 978-3-030-53536-0, July.
    16. Danuta Dziawgo, 2016. "Households Financial Behavior: Selected Aspects at the Time of Turbulence," Eurasian Studies in Business and Economics, in: Mehmet Huseyin Bilgin & Hakan Danis & Ender Demir & Ugur Can (ed.), Business Challenges in the Changing Economic Landscape - Vol. 1, edition 1, pages 201-212, Springer.
    17. Céline Nauges, 2014. "Greening Household Behaviour and Water," OECD Environment Working Papers 73, OECD Publishing.
    18. Mehmet Huseyin Bilgin & Hakan Danis & Ender Demir & Meltem Ş. Ucal (ed.), 2020. "Eurasian Business Perspectives," Eurasian Studies in Business and Economics, Springer, number 978-3-030-35051-2, July.
    19. Mehmet Huseyin Bilgin & Hakan Danis & Ender Demir (ed.), 2020. "Eurasian Business Perspectives," Eurasian Studies in Business and Economics, Springer, number 978-3-030-52294-0, July.
    20. Inoue, Emiko & Arimura, Toshi H. & Nakano, Makiko, 2013. "A new insight into environmental innovation: Does the maturity of environmental management systems matter?," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 156-163.
    21. Bauer, Rob & Smeets, Paul, 2015. "Social identification and investment decisions," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 117(C), pages 121-134.
    22. Adriana AnaMaria Davidescu & Simona-Andreea Apostu & Andreea Paul, 2020. "Exploring Citizens’ Actions in Mitigating Climate Change and Moving toward Urban Circular Economy. A Multilevel Approach," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(18), pages 1-46, September.
    23. Ertz, Myriam & Karakas, Fahri & Sarigöllü, Emine, 2016. "Exploring pro-environmental behaviors of consumers: An analysis of contextual factors, attitude, and behaviors," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(10), pages 3971-3980.
    24. Mehmet Huseyin Bilgin & Hakan Danis & Ender Demir & Uchenna Tony-Okeke (ed.), 2020. "Eurasian Economic Perspectives," Eurasian Studies in Business and Economics, Springer, number 978-3-030-48531-3, July.
    25. Dorota Krupa & Leszek Dziawgo & Michal Buszko, 2020. "Preferences of Individual Investors from Different Generations in Poland in Terms of Socially Responsible Investments," Eurasian Studies in Business and Economics, in: Mehmet Huseyin Bilgin & Hakan Danis & Ender Demir (ed.), Eurasian Economic Perspectives, pages 179-190, Springer.
    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. Damian Mazurek & Konrad Czapiewski, 2021. "What Solutions for Waste Management? Issues of Flows and Governance Exemplified by the Łódź Agglomeration (Poland)," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(12), pages 1-22, June.
    2. repec:ers:journl:v:xxiv:y:2021:i:2b:p:938-955 is not listed on IDEAS
    3. Leszek Dziawgo, 2024. "Support for the European Green Deal by Individual Investors:Research Results," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(4), pages 486-496.
    4. Shanshan Li & Gaoweijia Wang & Li Yang & Jichao Geng & Junqi Zhu, 2022. "Analysis and Prediction of the Coupling and Coordinated Development of Green Finance–Environmental Protection in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(15), pages 1-20, August.
    5. repec:ers:journl:v:xxiv:y:2021:i:3:p:335-348 is not listed on IDEAS
    6. Ruslan Kostyrko & Tetiana Kosova & Lidiia Kostyrko & Liudmyla Zaitseva & Oleksandr Melnychenko, 2021. "Ukrainian Market of Electrical Energy: Reforming, Financing, Innovative Investment, Efficiency Analysis, and Audit," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(16), pages 1-17, August.
    7. Aneta Mikuła & Małgorzata Raczkowska & Monika Utzig, 2021. "Pro-Environmental Behaviour in the European Union Countries," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-19, September.
    8. Alicja Małgorzata Graczyk, 2021. "Households Behaviour towards Sustainable Energy Management in Poland—The Homo Energeticus Concept as a New Behaviour Pattern in Sustainable Economics," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-30, May.
    9. Leszek Dziawgo, 2021. "Energy Sectors on Capital Market – Financing the Process “Towards Sustainability”," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(2 - Part ), pages 938-955.
    10. Zhang, Dongyang, 2024. "From ban to balance: How agricultural climate policies reshape rural asset allocation?," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 149(C).
    11. Robert Sidełko, 2021. "Application of Technological Processes to Create a Unitary Model for Energy Recovery from Municipal Waste," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-15, May.

    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. Mateusz Tomal & Agata Gumieniak, 2020. "Agricultural Land Price Convergence: Evidence from Polish Provinces," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 10(5), pages 1-20, May.
    2. Maria José Portillo Navarro & Gabriela Lagos Rodríguez & Maria Leticia Meseguer Santamaría, 2021. "Public expenditure on disability (PED) in Europe: An efficiency analysis," Regional Science Policy & Practice, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 13(5), pages 1479-1495, October.
    3. Parfait Bihkongnyuy Beri & Gabila Fohtung Nubong, 2021. "Impact of bilateral investment treaties on foreign direct investment in Africa," African Development Review, African Development Bank, vol. 33(3), pages 439-451, September.
    4. Daniela Firoiu & George H. Ionescu & Ramona Pîrvu & Laura Mariana Cismaș & Sorin Tudor & Ioana C. Patrichi, 2021. "Dynamics of Implementation of SDG 7 Targets in EU Member States 5 Years after the Adoption of the Paris Agreement," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(15), pages 1-22, July.
    5. Marlena Ciechan-Kujawa & Michal Buszko, 2020. "The Susceptibility of the Business Model to Changes - Empirical Analysis of Internal Determinants of Variability," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(4), pages 739-757.
    6. Bartlomiej Gladysz & Krzysztof Krystosiak & Krzysztof Ejsmont & Aldona Kluczek & Aleksander Buczacki, 2021. "Sustainable Printing 4.0—Insights from a Polish Survey," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(19), pages 1-20, September.
    7. Hashim Zameer & Ying Wang & Muhammad Rashid Saeed, 2021. "Net‐zero emission targets and the role of managerial environmental awareness, customer pressure, and regulatory control toward environmental performance," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(8), pages 4223-4236, December.
    8. Abdulelah A. Alghamdi & Margaret Plunkett, 2021. "The Perceived Impact of Social Networking Sites and Apps on the Social Capital of Saudi Postgraduate Students: A Case Study," Future Internet, MDPI, vol. 13(1), pages 1-23, January.
    9. Krzysztof Ejsmont & Bartlomiej Gladysz & Aldona Kluczek, 2020. "Impact of Industry 4.0 on Sustainability—Bibliometric Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(14), pages 1-29, July.
    10. Stefania Basiglio & Mariacristina Rossi & Riccardo Salomone & Costanza Torricelli, 2020. "Saving with a Social Impact: Evidence from Trento Province," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(20), pages 1-15, October.
    11. Costanza Torricelli & Eleonora Pellati, 2023. "Social bonds and the “social premium”," Journal of Economics and Finance, Springer;Academy of Economics and Finance, vol. 47(3), pages 600-619, September.
    12. Teimuraz Gogokhia & George Berulava, 2021. "Business environment reforms, innovation and firm productivity in transition economies," Eurasian Business Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 11(2), pages 221-245, June.
    13. Ioannis Oikonomou & Chao Yin & Lei Zhao, 2020. "Investment horizon and corporate social performance: the virtuous circle of long-term institutional ownership and responsible firm conduct," The European Journal of Finance, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 26(1), pages 14-40, January.
    14. Jesús Manuel Palma-Ruiz & Julen Castillo-Apraiz & Raúl Gómez-Martínez, 2020. "Socially Responsible Investing as a Competitive Strategy for Trading Companies in Times of Upheaval Amid COVID-19: Evidence from Spain," IJFS, MDPI, vol. 8(3), pages 1-13, July.
    15. Gugushvili, Alexi & Zelinska, Olga & Präg, Patrick & Bulczak, Grzegorz, 2022. "Does perceived social mobility affect health? Evidence from a fixed effects approach," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 294(C).
    16. Draganac, Dragana & Lu, Kelin, 2025. "Pricing asset beyond financial fundamentals: The impact of prosocial preference and image concerns," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 170(C).
    17. Costanza Torricelli & Beatrice Bertelli, 2022. "ESG screening strategies and portfolio performance: how do they fare in periods of financial distress?," Centro Studi di Banca e Finanza (CEFIN) (Center for Studies in Banking and Finance) 0087, Universita di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Dipartimento di Economia "Marco Biagi".
    18. Fan, Kwok Yuen & Shen, Jianfu & Hui, Eddie C.M. & Cheng, Louis T.W., 2024. "ESG components and equity returns: Evidence from real estate investment trusts," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 96(PB).
    19. Steven D. Baker & Burton Hollifield & Emilio Osambela, 2022. "Asset Prices and Portfolios with Externalities [Pricedetermination in the EU ETS market: theory and econometric analysis with market fundamentals]," Review of Finance, European Finance Association, vol. 26(6), pages 1433-1468.
    20. Li, WeiWei & Padmanabhan, Prasad & Huang, Chia-Hsing, 2024. "ESG and debt structure: Is the nature of this relationship nonlinear?," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).

    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:jeners:v:14:y:2021:i:7:p:1934-:d:527649. 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.