Do moral values mediate the political divide on climate change in the Netherlands?

Abstract

Previous research has consistently reported on the association between political ideology and environmentalism. More specifically, that left-wing individuals engage more with environmentalism compared to right-wing individuals. Previous studies in the US indicate that this relationship may be mediated by endorsement in the moral concerns related to care and fairness, also known as individualizing moral foundations. Regression models and multiple mediation models were used to investigate whether this interaction holds true in a non-US context, namely the Netherlands. The results supported the predicted mediating role of individualizing moral foundations, with no mediating effects of the binding moral foundations of loyalty, authority and purity, in the relationship between political ideology and environmentalism. These results indicate that right-wing individuals endorse less in environmentalism due to lower concerns for individualizing moral values compared to left-wing individuals. These findings confirm the important role of moral values in addressing environmentalism to mitigate climate change.