Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the willingness to sacrifice for the environment: The Austrian case

Previous analyses of environmentally conscious intentions showed that the willingness to sacrifice for the environment decreased during the COVID-19 crisis in Austria. There is a large body of empirical research and theoretical models dealing with the explanation of environmental behavior, but these explanations have always been considered in the context of a pandemic-free society. The aim of this research note is therefore to consider the willingness to sacrifice in a crisis period. The data used for the analyses is the Austrian part of the international ‘Values in Crisis’ survey. For this purpose, more than 2000 individuals were surveyed online about their values, social orientations and their current life situation during the first COVID-19 wave (May 2020). Blockwise regression models are used to examine the influence of crisis perceptions, environmental attitudes and values on the willingness to sacrifice for the environment. The analyses show a relatively strong influence of environmental attitudes and values, but also additional effects of concerns about the COVID-19 crisis and especially its economic impact.

Going local – Providing a highly detailed Green Infrastructure geodata set for assessing connectivity and functionality

Green Infrastructure (GI) defined as a strategically planned network of natural and semi-natural areas is a key strategy in the European biodiversity strategy and the landscape connectivity agenda. To implement this approach in Central Europe’s (CE) landscape planning policies the Interreg project MaGICLandscapes (ML) tried to operationalise the GI concept in CE as well as in nine case studies, to provide land-managers, policy makers and communities with tools and knowledge, at different spatial levels. Based on the example of the Austrian case study area, the aim of this paper is to present an easy to use approach, as implemented in ML, for producing a highly-detailed regional GI database to overcome the difficulty of realising comprehensive biotope mapping surveys as well as the rather coarse resolution of CORINE Land Cover (CLC). By compiling regional cadastral and agricultural information, highly detailed data on the water network as well as Pan-European High Resolution Layers (HRL), this detailed representation of the regional GI network allows to enhance the regional applicability and acceptance of GI initiatives and provides a crucial foundation for assessing GI connectivity and functionality to develop evidence-based strategies and action plans through stakeholder involvement to direct future actions and investment in GI.

CERTAIN LIMITATIONS IN REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS`S EXERCISING (CASES OF CHINA AND AUSTRIA)

The aim: To analyze the existing international legal framework, regulating limitations of exercising reproductive rights, and determine whether the limitations provided by Chinese and Austrian national legislators meet the international and regional standards. Materials and methods: The article is based on international universal and regional European legal instruments, the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights, national legislation of China and Austria, and scientific articles. The research is grounded on formal logical and dialectical methods, methods of synthesis and analysis, historical method, comparative legal method, and the method of modelling. Conclusions: The authors concluded that despite the standards on reproductive autonomy, being set by the number of international conferences and international and regional acts, the governments may impose limitations on exercising the said autonomy. Such limitations can be either radical ones (taking into account Chinese example of birth control) or liberal ones (taking into account the Austrian case on the prohibition of heterologous gametes donation).