Determinants of individual environmental values in India: a socio-economic and cultural perspective

Purpose The present study seeks to explore the preference for environmental protection over economic growth among Indian citizens. Further, the study will also seek to unfold the various factors affecting individual-level environmentalism in the Indian context. Design/methodology/approach The study is based on secondary data on 1134 individuals obtained from the World Values Survey (7th Wave) for India pertaining to the year 2023. A binary logit model was employed to explore the different factors influencing the environmental concerns of Indian individuals. Findings The outcome of the study revealed that 56.29% of the sample respondents preferred environmental protection over economic growth. Sense of equality, Government monitoring, collectivism, humane orientation, social activism, importance of god, life satisfaction, education and gender were found to influence the concern for the environment amongst the individuals. Originality/value The study makes an original attempt to explore the preference and determinants of environmental protection over economic growth in the context of the emerging economy of India for the first time.