Does global integration foster environmental mobilization? The effect of global norms on environmental movement participation

Abstract

How does global integration affect environmental activism? I develop a theoretical argument which highlights that global integration's effect is conditional on political ideology. Countries' integration in the world society leads to diffusion of environmental attitudes. However, people's political ideology restrains this positive effect. The assumed incompatibility between economic prosperity and environmental reform exerts a strong influence on attitudes of right-leaning individuals, who end up acting less for promoting environmental protection. I test this argument using multilevel model techniques on data from 35 European countries from 1980 to 2020. The results support my argument and show that global integration has an effect only on left-leaning individuals. In light of these results, the paper offers insights on the expansion of the environmental divide - 'action gap' - among individuals with different ideologies. The study also highlights how concerns about environmental consequences are still linked to an ideological commitment to laissez-faire economics.