---
_id: '61899'
abstract:
- lang: eng
  text: 'The devastating consequences of environmental degradation are increasingly
    evident, necessitating both adaptation and mitigation strategies. This study investigates
    perceived individual responsibility, drawing upon Hans Jonas’ "The Imperative
    of Responsibility" as a theoretical framework. Our aim is to explore the relationship
    between five independent variables (perceived climate change threat, trust in
    technological progress, religiosity, responsibility for contemporaries impacted
    by natural disasters, and environmental concern) and the dependent variable of
    perceived environmental responsibility towards future generations. Findings reveal
    that approximately 77 percent of respondents in Germany are willing to sacrifice
    current standards of living to protect the environment for future generations.
    Notably, perceiving climate change as a threat, assuming responsibility for present-day
    impacts and environmental stewardship emerge as significant predictors of environmental
    responsibility towards future generations. Being religious also correlates with
    heightened environmental responsibility compared to non-religious individuals.
    Trust in technological progress only weakly correlates with intergenerational
    environmental responsibility, surprisingly suggesting a positive relationship.
    These findings provide valuable insights into determinants of perceived individual
    responsibility. In order to arrive at a more complete analysis, however, future
    research needs to complement this study of perceived individual-level responsibility
    with considerations on collective actors and structural factors. '
author:
- first_name: Isabell
  full_name: Diekmann, Isabell
  id: '119325'
  last_name: Diekmann
- first_name: Thomas
  full_name: Faist, Thomas
  last_name: Faist
citation:
  ama: Diekmann I, Faist T. Does the Future Have a Lobby? Environmental Degradation
    and Perceived Environmental Responsibility towards Future Generations. <i>Environmental
    Sociology</i>. 2025;11(2):259–272. doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/23251042.2024.2422460">10.1080/23251042.2024.2422460</a>
  apa: Diekmann, I., &#38; Faist, T. (2025). Does the Future Have a Lobby? Environmental
    Degradation and Perceived Environmental Responsibility towards Future Generations.
    <i>Environmental Sociology</i>, <i>11</i>(2), 259–272. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/23251042.2024.2422460">https://doi.org/10.1080/23251042.2024.2422460</a>
  bibtex: '@article{Diekmann_Faist_2025, title={Does the Future Have a Lobby? Environmental
    Degradation and Perceived Environmental Responsibility towards Future Generations},
    volume={11}, DOI={<a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/23251042.2024.2422460">10.1080/23251042.2024.2422460</a>},
    number={2}, journal={Environmental Sociology}, publisher={Taylor &#38; Francis},
    author={Diekmann, Isabell and Faist, Thomas}, year={2025}, pages={259–272} }'
  chicago: 'Diekmann, Isabell, and Thomas Faist. “Does the Future Have a Lobby? Environmental
    Degradation and Perceived Environmental Responsibility towards Future Generations.”
    <i>Environmental Sociology</i> 11, no. 2 (2025): 259–272. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/23251042.2024.2422460">https://doi.org/10.1080/23251042.2024.2422460</a>.'
  ieee: 'I. Diekmann and T. Faist, “Does the Future Have a Lobby? Environmental Degradation
    and Perceived Environmental Responsibility towards Future Generations,” <i>Environmental
    Sociology</i>, vol. 11, no. 2, pp. 259–272, 2025, doi: <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/23251042.2024.2422460">10.1080/23251042.2024.2422460</a>.'
  mla: Diekmann, Isabell, and Thomas Faist. “Does the Future Have a Lobby? Environmental
    Degradation and Perceived Environmental Responsibility towards Future Generations.”
    <i>Environmental Sociology</i>, vol. 11, no. 2, Taylor &#38; Francis, 2025, pp.
    259–272, doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/23251042.2024.2422460">10.1080/23251042.2024.2422460</a>.
  short: I. Diekmann, T. Faist, Environmental Sociology 11 (2025) 259–272.
date_created: 2025-10-21T11:21:41Z
date_updated: 2025-10-21T12:11:17Z
doi: 10.1080/23251042.2024.2422460
extern: '1'
intvolume: '        11'
issue: '2'
language:
- iso: eng
page: 259–272
publication: Environmental Sociology
publication_identifier:
  issn:
  - 2325-1042
publisher: Taylor & Francis
status: public
title: Does the Future Have a Lobby? Environmental Degradation and Perceived Environmental
  Responsibility towards Future Generations
type: journal_article
user_id: '119325'
volume: 11
year: '2025'
...