Who Cares and How much do They Care About The Environment? The Evolution of Environmental Concern in Spain and The European Union
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5477/cis/reis.188.55-80Keywords:
Socio-demographic Characteristics • Great Recession • Spanish Public Opinion • European Public Opinion • Environmental Concern • Environmental Values, Socio-demographic Characteristics, Great Recession, Spanish Public Opinion, Environmental Concern, Environmental ValuesAbstract
Concern for the environment and social support for the protection of nature are crucial in times of climate change and environmental degradation. This article compares the evolution of concern about environmental protection in Spain and in the European Union over the last two decades, examining the effect of various sociodemographic, political-ideological and values-based variables. Data from five Eurobarometers conducted before, during and after the Great Recession were analysed using the optimal scaling technique. Support for protection has been high in the past two decades, but declined during the crisis. The results show: a) little influence of socio-demographic factors, except for education level; b) a moderate impact of ideology; and c) a strong association between beliefs about the human-nature relationship and environmental concern.
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