Social institutions as enablers and inhibitors of environmental activism: A cross-cultural perspective

Abstract

Societal well-being requires immediate global action from individuals and governments to vote on and enact policies that slow down, stop, and reverse the effects of climate change. To pressure governments and motivate policymakers to act, individuals can engage in environmental activism; however, even if individuals consider the environment important, they often do not follow through with action. Using a unique, large-scale secondary data set from over 60,000 individuals in 48 countries, we examine the influence of social institutions on environmental activism among a nation's citizens. We find that religiosity inhibits environmental activism while education enables it. Confidence in the judiciary system also increases the likelihood that individuals act on their pro-environmental attitudes while confidence in the government weakens this relationship. We discuss implications for policymakers and community organizers looking to increase the well-being of their constituents.