Environmental Concern, Behavior, Skepticism, and Subjective Well-being: Evidence from Russia

In recent years, sustainable development policies have increasingly focused not only on economic indicators and infrastructure quality, but also on subjective well-being, happiness, and population satisfaction. The aim of this study is to determine how environmental concern, observed behavior, and skepticism levels impact life satisfaction assessments. The data comes from a survey of over 1,400 employed respondents in Russia, conducted by the authors in the summer of 2024. The methods include correlation and regression analyses, and environmental indicators were measured using simple scales that reflect respondents’ attitudes toward specific environmental issues. The results revealed that human and social capital indicators are important predictors of environmental concern, behavior, and skepticism. For instance, an active life stance increases environmental concern and pro-environmental actions, while a lack of trust in institutions raises the level of environmental skepticism. Overall, higher levels of environmental concern and increased pro-environmental actions enhance life satisfaction, whereas growing skepticism negatively affects subjective well-being. These findings could be used to inform environmental policy aimed at improving population well-being by engaging individuals in institutional efforts and building trust through the accumulation of social capital.