National Differences in Age and Future-Oriented Indicators Relate to Environmental Performance

Environmental concerns inherently involve an intergenerational aspect, where today’s decisions and sacrifices, often with uncertain future benefits, can have far-reaching effects on countless future generations. Numerous national characteristics can forecast a nation’s commitment to investing in environmental sustainability. Hershfield and colleagues (2014) found evidence in support of Gott’s principle, which states citizens may use perceptions of their country’s age to forecast its future continuation. Replicating and expanding these findings, we offer evidence that suggests that a country’s age positively relates to intergenerational solidarity. Further, relevant future-oriented variables, such as a country’s Long-Term Orientation, and Ability to Overcome Temporal Discounting relate to a host of sustainability-related indicators, suggesting that countries concerned about the future exhibit greater concern for the environment. These findings not only reinforce Gott’s principle and replicate prior research but also suggest that framing a country as a long-standing entity and implementing intergenerational framing interventions could be valuable strategies for motivating proenvironmental engagement.