Environmental Attitudes in International Comparison: An Analysis

Objective. The goal of this article is to compare the concern for the natural environment between the citizens of 26 countries that participated in the 2000 International Social Survey Program (ISSP) and to explain the differences. Prior studies (e.g., Dunlap, Gallup, and Gallup, 1993; Brechin, 1999) suggest that the increase of environmental concern is a global phenomenon. However, Inglehart (1995), as well as Diekmann and Franzen (1999), argue that the level of environmental concern and knowledge is highly correlated with GNP per capita. Method. The article analyzes new evidence obtained from the ISSP 2000 and compares it to the prior findings based on the ISSP 1993. Results. It is shown that citizens in wealthier nations express greater concern for the global condition of the environment than those in poorer countries. Conclusion. The new analysis of the ISSP 2000 confirms our original notion that support for global environmental pro-tection is strongly correlated with wealth. However, the increase in real GDP between 1993 and 2000 did not lead to a further increase in environmental concern. The level of concern for the natural environment has increased globally since the 1950s. The increasing concern is demonstrated by the rise in international environmental treaties, the number of national environmental ministries, and the rise of international nongovernmental organization