Generosity and Environmental Protection: How Strong Is the Relationship between Giving and Sustainability?

Abstract

(1) Background: Sustainability is a crucial priority and a critical part of the modern world. Promoting pro-social values to the younger generation is an issue addressed throughout this paper. The present study aims to answer the question of whether generosity, as a positive attitude towards others, and sustainability, as a positive attitude towards the environment, are related. (2) Methods: The current research includes a sample of 4333 adolescents, ages 14 and 15, who attend schools in Bihor County, Romania. (3) Results: The regression analysis indicates a significant correlation between sustainable values, operationalized through adolescent involvement in environmental organisations, and generosity. (4) Conclusions: Sustainable behaviour can be considered a form of giving that contributes to the collective good. Our research outlines a significant need for a new set of competencies provided through a newly designed curriculum and/or through focused training, in order to cultivate generosity across cultures, ecologies, and generations; at the same time, we also highlight the significant role that the joint efforts of the school-family-library trifecta in supporting this goal.

Harnessing legal structures of virtue for planetary health

“…Those who practise justice and are guided by prudence will advocate on behalf of future generations 64. The virtue of justice also manifests itself in the subvirtues of gratitude, which consists of a grateful heart for the gift that is our living planet, and generosity, which urges us to make planetary goods, such as healthy ecosystems, available to as many people and species as possible 65. The v-rule that underlies this principle is that government policy makers, international organisation bureaucrats, corporate leaders and even ordinary citizens should always give what is due to other Earth community constituents, including but not limited to human beings, in order to ensure their health and well-being, now and in the future.…”

Antecedents of sustainability‐oriented entrepreneurial intentions: A comprehensive model and empirical evidence

“…Individuals with high levels of altruism are likely to have intentions to start a sustainable entrepreneurial venture because such an unconventional form of entrepreneurial venture allows them to make a positive impact on society and the environment (Agu et al, 2021). Additionally, sustainable entrepreneurial ventures often focus on social and environmental issues, which align with the values of individuals with high levels of Altruism (Lazăr et al, 2022). The exploration of the recent empirical works integrates Altruism as a key antecedent of SEI, thereby corroborating a positive impact of Altruism in defining the construct, SEI (Srivastava et al, 2023; Yasir et al, 2021).…”