Ecological Attitudes and Quality of Life as Key Factors in the Sustainable Development of Polish Municipalities

This paper is intended to present—in light of the authors’ own research—the inhabitants of Polish municipalities’ perceptions of the environmental determinants affecting the quality of life, with particular emphasis on the environmental assessment of their place of residence, the changes that have taken place in this area over the last five years as well as the key environmental hazards impacting on the quality of life, and sustainable development. The research method consisted of the following steps: (i) review of the literature, (ii) preparation of a questionnaire on the perception of the quality of the environment and environmental threats, (iii) conducting questionnaire interviews using the CAWI technique among adult residents of Poland in the period July–September 2023, (iv) statistical analysis of the results obtained. The findings of the nationwide survey indicate that respondents ranked air quality problems among the most significant environmental problems. The analysis of these surveys shows that respondents’ awareness of the most harmful factors degrading the environment varied by area. The study contributes to the development of research on the perception of environmental threats and public environmental awareness, filling a gap related to the insufficient consideration of the spatial and temporal aspects of this phenomenon in the existing Polish literature. The research results presented in the article may be useful in diagnosing the environmental determinants of quality of life. They also provide guidance for decision-makers, spatial planners, environmental protection institutions, social organisations, and educational institutions on which directions of action in the field of environmental protection and sustainable development should be implemented in a given area.