The Dynamics of Environmental Giving in Canada: Evidence of Rising Demand for Environmental Quality?

Abstract

This study explores environmental giving behaviour over time in Canada and considers whether changes in such behaviour serve as an indication of evolving preferences for environmental quality. The data sets of the 1997 National Survey of Giving, Volunteering and Participating (NSGVP) and the 2007 Canada Survey of Giving, Volunteering and Participating (CSGVP) are analysed using the probit selection and Heckman selection models to study environmental giving behaviour. The results suggest that the demand for environmental quality in Canada may have increased over time and that several economic, socio-demographic and geographic factors influence the likelihood of donating and the amount of the donation expenditure. The findings have implications for public policy.