Environmental and Pro-Social Norms: Evidence from 30 Countries

34 Pages Posted: 5 Sep 2007

See all articles by Benno Torgler

Benno Torgler

Queensland University of Technology; CREMA; CESifo (Center for Economic Studies and Ifo Institute for Economic Research)

Bruno S. Frey

CREMA; University of Basel

Clevo Wilson

Queensland University of Technology

Date Written: AUGUST 2007

Abstract

The paper investigates the relationship between pro-social norms and its implications for improved environmental outcomes, an area which has been neglected in the environmental economics literature. We provide empirical evidence, demonstrating a strong link between perceived environmental cooperation (reduced public littering) and increased voluntary environmental morale, using European Values Survey (EVS) data for 30 Western and Eastern European countries. The robust results suggest that environmental morale and perceived environmental cooperation, as well as identifying the factors that strengthen these relationships, potentially bring about better environmental outcomes.

Keywords: Environmental Preferences, Environmental Morale, Conditional Cooperation, Pro-Social Behavior

JEL Classification: H260, H730, D640

Suggested Citation

Torgler, Benno and Frey, Bruno S. and Wilson, Clevo, Environmental and Pro-Social Norms: Evidence from 30 Countries (AUGUST 2007). FEEM Working Paper No. 84.2007, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1010856 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1010856

Benno Torgler (Contact Author)

Queensland University of Technology ( email )

GPO Box 2434
2 George Street
Brisbane, Queensland 4001
Australia

CREMA

Gellertstrasse 18
Basel
Zurich, CH 8006
Switzerland

CESifo (Center for Economic Studies and Ifo Institute for Economic Research)

Poschinger Str. 5
Munich, DE-81679
Germany

Bruno S. Frey

CREMA ( email )

Südstrasse 11
Zurich, CH 8008
Switzerland
+41 44 380 00 78 (Phone)

University of Basel ( email )

Peter Merian-Weg 6
Basel, 4002
Switzerland

Clevo Wilson

Queensland University of Technology ( email )

GPO Box 2434
2 George Street
Brisbane, Queensland 4001
Australia

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