Reassessing the economy–environment tradeoff: do industry sectors, green jobs opportunities, and regulatory threats affect environmental concerns?

2024/07/27 by Todd Lu · 1 voice
Energy · Economics, Econometrics and Finance · #Energy, Environment, and Transportation Policies #Energy, Environment, Economic Growth #Climate Change Policy and Economics

paper · doi:10.1080/09644016.2024.2384779

openalex publication_date 2024/07/27 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/01

Abstract

Economic effects on environmental concerns assess macroeconomic pressures or microeconomic status differences but overlook environmental and labor scholarly attention to industry contexts. I test whether employed industry, green jobs opportunities, and regulatory threats influence five environmental concern indexes using cross-sectional US General Social Surveys from 2000, 2010, and 2021 and federal administrative data. Findings indicate individuals employed in resource extraction, construction, and manufacturing express less environmental concerns than service sector individuals but vary across dimensions. Resource extraction individuals express less concern for environmental protections and pollution harms. Manufacturing, construction and utilities individuals are less willing to sacrifice for the environment. Green jobs sub-industry employment is positively associated with more willingness to sacrifice and empowerment to act for the environment. Surprisingly, employment in Environmental Protection Agency regulated sub-industries is positively associated with more willingness to sacrifice for the environment. The findings underscore future research on how industry-based economic contexts shape environmental concerns.

Citations

• The Varied Influence of SES on Environmental Concern
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Discussions

• New article from Todd Lu asks whether industry contexts shape environmental concerns. 'Reassessing the economy-environment tradeoff'. doi.org/10.1080/0964... [bsky, 0 points, 0 comments]