Environmental Attitudes Research Articles

Varieties of Climate Activism: Assessing Public Support for Mainstream and Unorthodox Climate Action in the United Kingdom

Abstract Is the general public of the UK willing to financially support environmental organizations that adopt disruptive tactics (museum and art gallery protests, sporting event disruptions, and traffic stoppages), as opposed to orthodox tactics (litigation, lobbying, and research and education)? Using a conjoint choice experiment (N = 1,023), we asked respondents’ willingness to donate £25 to hypothetical environmental organizations that differ in terms of (1) advocacy tactics, (2) share of revenue toward administrative overheads, (3) representation of women on their boards, (4) organizational age, (5) organizational size, (6) number of volunteers, and (7) revenue from citizen donations. We find respondents’ willingness to donate diminishes when organizations adopt disruptive tactics. These results hold across party preferences, ideology, generation, location, and environmental policy attitudes. Further, respondents are willing to donate organizations that rely on public donations, have low overheads, are supported by volunteer labor, and provide representation to women on their boards.

Environmental knowledge influencing pro-environmental behavior among university students: a serial mediation and MGA approach

Purpose The study aims to investigate the mediating role played by environmental attitude and environmental sensitivity in the influence of environmental knowledge on pro-environmental behavior. Specifically, the study examined whether both environmental attitude and environmental sensitivity act as serial mediators between environmental knowledge and pro-environmental behavior. This study also explored whether there are gender differences in how environmental knowledge affects pro-environmental behavior through environmental attitude and environmental sensitivity. Design/methodology/approach A survey tool was distributed to university students in the northern region of India who had studied environmental studies as a compulsory subject during one of their semesters in their higher education program. A total of 558 responses were analyzed through nonparametric partial least squares multigroup analysis using PLS-SEM. Findings The results indicated that environmental knowledge significantly affected pro-environmental behavior. Moreover, environmental attitude and environmental sensitivity played significant mediating roles between environmental knowledge and pro-environmental behavior. Additionally, the results showed that the serial mediation effect of environmental attitude and environmental sensitivity in the relationship between environmental knowledge and pro-environmental behavior was significant. However, the findings did not show any significant gender difference in how environmental knowledge influences pro-environmental behavior, mediated serially by environmental attitude and environmental sensitivity. Originality/value Although vast literature is available on the relationship between environmental knowledge and pro-environmental behavior, a few studies have shown environmental attitude and environmental sensitivity as mediators. In addition, this study fills the gap in the existing research by exploring how environmental attitude and sensitivity serially mediate the nexus between environmental knowledge and pro-environmental behavior, particularly across genders.

The role of socio-demographic and psychological factors in shaping individual carbon footprints in Finland.

Household consumption emissions are a major contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions, making them a vital target for emission reductions. While previous research has studied socio-demographic and situational factors in explaining the variation in individuals' carbon footprints, a more comprehensive exploration of individual drivers, would benefit the development of effective and equitable mitigation policies. The current study examines associations between psychological and socio-demographic factors and carbon footprints of Finnish adults (n = 3,519). Income was found to be the strongest factor explaining the variation in carbon footprints. While environmental attitudes, perceived easiness and perceived importance of climate actions statistically explained differences in carbon footprints, the effect sizes were modest. The factors explaining variation in the carbon footprint varied across different domains (housing, travel, diet, and other consumption of goods and services), with psychological factors having a more substantial effect on diet compared to other domains. Overall, the findings suggest that tailoring policy interventions to reduce emissions from different domains to specific groups and factors could be beneficial. Furthermore, the greatest emission reduction potential lies among higher-income individuals. In the dietary domain, attitude-changing interventions could be more effective, while financial or choice architecture interventions might be better suited for other domains.

The impact of digital technology and technological innovation on environmental attitudes——insights from a cross-country survey

ABSTRACT The evolving landscape of digital technologies and technological innovations is reshaping our relationship with the environment. While empirical studies at the micro level have extensively examined the separate impacts of these advancements on environmental attitudes, a significant gap persists in understanding their collective influence at the macro level. To address this gap, our study investigates the impact of digital technology and technological innovation on environmental attitudes using data from 44,622 surveys across 28 countries, sourced from the International Social Survey Program. Our analysis reveals that country-level digital technology and technological innovation significantly influence individuals’ environmental attitudes. At the individual level, factors such as air pollution, the quality of the individual’s living environment, and education level play crucial roles in shaping these attitudes. Additionally, public trust in the media plays a significant moderating role in the relationship between digital technology and environmental attitudes. Our research contributes to the literature by simultaneously examining these factors at both individual and national levels. To gain citizens’ attitudes toward environmental protection, there is a need to strengthen the integration of technological innovation and environmental protection and to improve the authenticity of mass media materials while focusing on environmental governance.

The Effects of Personality Traits, Environmental Attitudes, and Demographic Factors on Green Party Support in Canada

Abstract By appealing to public concern over environmental issues, Green parties have emerged to gain secure positions in several party systems. However, in Canada, we know very little about why people support the Green Party. This research note draws upon the Canadian Election Study (CES) to explore the ways in which demographic factors, personality traits and individual environmentalism impact vote choice. Theorizing Green Party support as a form of pro-environmental behaviour, we build a model that tests the impact of demographic factors and personality traits as mediated through environmental attitudes. It finds that, while pro-environmental policy attitudes are the strongest predictor of Green Party support, several demographic factors and personality traits—specifically conscientiousness, openness to experience, agreeableness and extraversion—have an effect.

Assessing Littering Centric Environmental Literacy of University Graduates in Bangladesh

To create a sustainable society, this study aims to assess the littering centric environmental literacy and impact of socio-demographic variables on environmental literacy among university graduates in Bangladesh. By using multistage sampling technique, we collect 209 responses from bachelor and master level students from different higher educational institutions from Khulna city. Descriptive statistics, ANOVA and weighted mean index has been used to trace out the research objective. This study finds that students have a moderate level of environment literacy (3.67 in a scale of 5.00). Students have a higher score on environmental knowledge (3.77 in a scale of 5.00) and a lower score on environmental attitude and concern (3.62). Noticeable, students have the most positive attitude in the affective tendency but least positive attitude in the cognitive tendency. It also finds that students are aware about the environmental issues but did not perform that responsibility in their daily life. ANOVA analysis reports that parental education and income has a significant impact on environmental literacy and its components. Alternatively, number of highly educated member in family and hometown status has significant impact on knowledge, attitude and environmental literacy. This finding helps stakeholders to understand the students’ literacy about a pro-environmental issue.

The role of attitude toward nature in learning about environmental issues

Attitude toward nature and environmental attitude are two distinct propensities that both further learning about the environment. The present study builds upon prior research by investigating the role of attitude toward nature in learning about environmental issues. In a sample of 1,486 university, middle and high school students (Mage = 15.25, SD = 3.2), we first calibrated a pool of items expressing attitude toward nature. We found differences in how adolescents expressed their appreciation for nature at different ages. It is essential to consider these differences to accurately ascertain adolescents’ attitudes toward nature. We then conducted a mediation test. Whereas attitude toward nature determined the levels of knowledge students gained and retained, environmental attitude fully mediated the environmental knowledge subsequently demonstrated by the students. Our research suggests that researchers and educators may benefit from taking an experiential approach to learning about sustainable development by promoting appreciation for nature.

The Influence of Green Marketing Communication and Brand Credibility through the Mediation of Environmental Attitudes and Moderation of Income Levels on Purchasing Decisions of Green Marketing Products in Aceh

The issue of environmental sustainability has become increasingly important, particularly in the context of green product marketing, making it crucial to understand the factors that influence green product purchasing decisions. This study aims to clarify how brand credibility and green marketing communication affect consumer behavior through environmental attitudes and the moderating impact of income levels. Primary data from 300 green product consumers, gathered via a structured questionnaire and analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM-PLS), reveal several key findings. Brand credibility significantly enhances both environmental attitudes and purchasing decisions, with environmental attitudes playing a critical mediating role in these relationships. Green marketing communication also positively impacts environmental attitudes and purchasing decisions. Additionally, income levels positively affect purchasing decisions but negatively moderate the interaction between environmental attitudes and purchasing decisions. These results underscore the essential role of environmental attitudes in mediating the effects of brand credibility and green marketing communication on purchasing decisions, as well as the nuanced influence of income levels on consumer behavior regarding sustainable products.

Environmental Attitudes in Children: An Exploratory Study of Their Relationships with Future Perspectives and Values

The present study aims to assess the extent and direction in which future perception and human values are related to environmental attitudes in a sample of children. The participants were 406 Brazilian children, most of them female (56.3 %) with a mean age of 10.23. The results indicated that environmental attitudes of preservation were positively related to all factors of the future perspective scale and the excitement, suprapersonal, existence, interactive, and normative values. The utilization attitudes correlated with the promotion, suprapersonal, existence, interactive, and normative values, but were not significantly correlated with future perspective. The analysis of predictive power showed that optimism towards the future, suprapersonal, normative, and existence values predicted preservation attitudes, while promotion, existence, and interactive values predicted utilization attitudes. The results support the importance of human values and time perspective in environmental attitudes from childhood.

Shaping pro-environmental behaviors through eco-diaries and research-based projects: an experimental study of business students at Yangzhou University

Purpose This paper aims to identify the effects of two types of teaching approaches, namely, project-based learning and place-based learning, on the development of pro-environmental behaviors among university students. Design/methodology/approach This study used a pre-test–post-test experimental design to evaluate the efficacy of project- and placed-based learning in promoting pro-environmental behaviors among university students. Participants were randomly allocated to either the project-based learning cohort (consisting of 50 participants) or the place-based learning cohort (also consisting of 50 participants). The pre-test assessments evaluated the initial pro-environmental behaviors of the participants. Then, interventions were conducted with the help of instructors. The project-based learning intervention necessitated participants to collectively take part in real-life problem-solving endeavors about environmental matters. On the other hand, the place-based learning intervention prompted participants to record and contemplate their interactions with the surrounding environment. Both interventions sought to augment participants’ understanding, beliefs and actions related to the environment. After the interventions, post-test assessments were carried out to assess any alterations in participants’ pro-environmental behaviors. Mean analysis and paired sample t-test were performed to examine the differences among the pre-test and post-test for both project- and place-based learning. Findings The findings of this study indicate that the participants have exhibited improved pro-environmental behaviors, including environmental activism, non-activist behaviors and private sphere green behaviors. Originality/value This research is original in its analysis of project- and place-based learning approaches for fostering pro-environmental behaviors. By using a pre-test–post-test experimental design, this study provides empirical evidence on the effectiveness of these active learning strategies in shaping environmental attitudes and actions.

The Antecedents of Recycling Behaviour Among Online Consumers Concerning E-Commerce Packaging Waste

The increasing proliferation of e-commerce has resulted in a significant rise in packaging waste, which poses numerous environmental challenges that necessitate urgent attention. Understanding the factors driving consumers’ recycling behaviour is crucial to developing effective strategies to mitigate the environmental impact. The current study aims to examine the antecedents of recycling behaviour among Malaysian online consumers concerning e-commerce packaging waste by applying the Cognitive-Affective-Behavioural model. Empirical data were collected from 339 Malaysian university students. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was subsequently employed to test the proposed model. The SEM results confirmed that environmental knowledge directly and positively influenced recycling behaviour. Environmental concern and attitude served as serial mediators, which sequentially delineated the indirect relationship. The present study advanced the existing literature on recycling behaviour by implementing robust approaches to statistically examining the impacts and interrelationships of the key constructs influencing recycling behaviour among online consumers concerning e-commerce packaging waste.

How natural disasters and environmental fears shape American climate attitudes across political orientation

Climate change remains a polarizing issue in the United States, with conservatives expressing greater skepticism regarding its risks. We investigate how fear shapes climate attitudes across political orientations. Utilizing data from a 2023 online survey, results support hypotheses that conservatives demonstrate lower climate concern and that fear of natural and environmental disasters increases climate concern. Interaction results show that fear of anthropogenic environmental disasters elicits greater climate concern amongst conservatives. At high levels of ecological fear, the political divisions diminish as all orientations converge on higher levels of acknowledging climate risks and causes. Practically, this relationship highlights messaging opportunities by focusing on relevant environmental threats that aid in influencing conservatives to build collective support across political divides. Theoretically, these findings challenge expectations of dominant paradigms related to threat perception and political orientation, contributing to the ongoing development of new models that more thoroughly represent the relationship between these multifaceted constructs.

Developing a circular economy framework for e‐commerce packaging materials: A study on behavioural intentions of online consumers

AbstractThe exponential growth of e‐commerce brings the need for sustainable business models to address the negative environmental impacts of packaging. This study used a bibliometric analysis, the theory of planned behaviour and stakeholder theory to explore the behavioural intentions of consumers in adopting a circular economy model for e‐commerce packaging materials. Surveying 362 respondents in the Indian market, our findings revealed e‐commerce users were likely to participate in a closed‐loop system, with environmental concern and attitude emerging as pivotal factors. The study's novelty lies in examining consumers' willingness to engage in circular economy practices, using an extended model of the theory of planned behaviour. We propose leveraging existing reverse logistics networks for e‐commerce packaging that incorporate circular economy principles for packaging sustainability. The study contributes to the theory by emphasising the primacy of environmental concerns over financial incentives in motivating consumer participation in the emerging economies context. We advance the prioritisation of environmental considerations by e‐commerce consumers, which necessitates a focus on education and knowledge development on the circular economy. Building upon our findings from the Indian market context, we propose key recommendations for practice and policy, which could be applicable to other emerging markets and contribute to their CE adoption.

Sustainable Steps in the Snow: Exploring factors associated with active school commuting in Finland

Physical inactivity of children and youth is a major health problem. Active commuting could increase the amount of physical activity and be a more environmentally friendly traffic mode choice compared with motorized vehicles. Parents have an integral role in determining the options a child has for commuting. We explored parental barriers and motivators associated with the active commute of their children.This cross-sectional study used the CLIMATE NUDGE Survey data of parents with school-aged children. A set of 25 possible influencing factors included demographic factors, social aspects, and pro-environmental attitudes, and questions about the motivating role of journey characteristics and health effects. The data were analyzed with two multinomial logistic regression analyses (N = 320): first, comparing those who either never or sometimes commute actively to those who always do so, and second, those who always or sometimes commute actively to those who never do so.Results indicated the strongest determinants to differentiate those who always and those who never use active commute, were commute distance and parental beliefs about social commute norms. The longer the commute distance was, the more likely the child was to belong to the never active commuter group and less likely to belong to the always active commuter group. The more parents believed their child’s peers commuted actively, the more likely it was that their child always commuted actively and less likely they never did so.We found several factors associated with active commuting, yet somewhat surprisingly neither environmental attitudes nor climate change related reasons were significantly associated with active commuting. To conclude, instead of highlighting environmental aspects to promote active commute, we recommend highlighting social norms and perception of the commute distance, and addressing weather-related barriers and health related motivators.

Designing e-modules on mangrove species diversity leveraging local potential through pbl to foster environmental attitudes

This study aims to develop e-modules of mangrove species diversity as local potential in learning. The development model used is the Lee & Owens (2004) development model. There are five phases in the development of research, namely the analysis, design, development, implementation and evaluation. The used learning model is Problem-Based Learning by presenting authentic mangrove problems in Banten. The e-module that has been developed will be tested for validity, practicality and effectiveness so that it can be disseminated for student learning activities. E-modules are tested for validity by conducting a 100% material expert validation test, 98.77% media and teaching material validation results and 100% validation results from field practitioners. Before being used in learning, the e-module was tested for practicality with a one-on-one trial getting a score of 93.33%, a small group trial of 89.41%, a field trial of 86.2% and a field test of 95.04%. Based on the results of student response testing, it can be concluded that the e-module of mangrove diversity is practically used in learning. The results of effectiveness testing to see the improvement of students' environmental attitudes were analyzed. The results of effectiveness testing to see an increase in students' environmental attitudes are measured qualitatively with an N-Gain measurement of 0,46 which is included in medium effectiveness and quantitatively measured using a simple paired t test with p-value of 1.88 which means there is a significant difference before and after using e-module in learning.

디지털기기를 활용한 가정연계 자연체험활동이 유아의 환경보전태도 및 창의성에 미치는 영향

The purpose of this study is to verify the effects of home-linked nature experiences using digital devices on the environmental conservation attitudes and creativity of 3-year-old children. A total of 26 randomly selected children from an A workplace daycare center in Gyeonggi Province were assigned to either an experimental group (13 children from A Daycare Center) or a comparison group (13 children from B Daycare Center). The experimental treatment was conducted twice a week for 8 weeks from April 15, 2024, to June 7, 2024. The experimental group participated in home-linked nature-based activities using digital devices, while the comparison group engaged in thematic activities from the Nuri curriculum. Data were analyzed using t-tests (SPSS/WIN 25.0) to compare the pre- and post-scores of the experimental and comparison groups. The results were as follows: First, the experimental group showed significant improvements in environmental conservation attitudes and all sub-variables compared to the comparison group. Second, the experimental group also showed significant gains in creativity compared to the comparison group. This study is meaningful in that it verifies the positive effects of home-linked nature-based activities using digital devices on fostering environmental conservation attitudes and creativity, offering implications for early childhood education.

Factors Influencing Sustained Use of Shared E-Scooter Services in Urban Taiwan

This study investigates the factors that drive users to sustain their usage of shared electric scooter (e-scooter) services in Taiwan, distinguishing itself from the conventional focus on predicting consumers’ initial adoption and behavioural intentions. It employs subjective rating questions, incorporating constructs related to user acceptance, attitudes and user experience (UX). Through hierarchical regression analysis of quantitative survey data, the study identifies key factors such as users’ modes of transportation, environmental attitudes, acceptance of shared services, attitudes towards private scooters, UX, total usage instances and age. However, reliance on private scooters as a mode of transportation and frequent usage of shared e-scooters negatively impact the sustained usage of these services. The research further highlights early development challenges in shared vehicle services, including concerns over personal data security, user-unfriendly system designs, lack of convenience, inadequate parking infrastructure and ineffective financial incentives. Based on these findings, the study provides recommendations for service providers and government entities to enhance service design and proactively address these challenges. Implementing these recommendations is expected to mitigate the impact of these challenges and potentially improve user acceptance, UX, and the overall sustainability of shared vehicle services.

Influence of mindfulness on environmental satisfaction among young adults: mediating role of environmental identity

This study aims to analyze the relationship between mindfulness, environmental satisfaction, and environmental identity of adults. A sample of 367 adults was recruited using convenient sampling, and data were collected through online surveys. A quantitative analysis was carried out with SMART PLS-SEM to explore the structural relationships between these variables. The results demonstrated that mindfulness is significantly correlated with both environmental satisfaction and environmental identity, with environmental identity serving as a significant mediator between mindfulness and environmental satisfaction. These findings suggest that individuals with higher levels of mindfulness tend to have greater environmental satisfaction and a more robust environmental identity. The study highlights the importance of mindfulness in promoting environmental responsibility and suggests that mindfulness can enhance adults' affinity with nature and pro-environmental behaviors. This research contributes to the current understanding of the psychological determinants of environmental attitudes and behaviors, offering valuable insights for policymakers and practitioners aiming to foster environmental actions.

Exploring the Impact of Values Education on Sustainable Environmental Awareness and Behavior Among Eighth-Grade Students

Education plays a crucial role in fostering numerous established and sustainable behaviors in individuals. Among these behaviors, environmental awareness is particularly important because of its significant sociological impact. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of values education on environmental awareness and pro-environmental behavior. This study employs a mixed-method approach, combining both quantitative and qualitative research methods. The quantitative part of this research consists of 225 eighth-grade students and the qualitative part consists of six Turkish teachers. As a result of the quantitative analysis, it was found that the environmental attitude levels of the middle school students participating in this study were at a high level. In the qualitative analysis, it was found that the teachers participating in this study established a strong connection between mother tongue education, values education, and environmental education. The outcomes from the qualitative and quantitative analysis were discussed in depth and compared with the results previously presented in the literature. Additionally, the findings of this study indicated opportunities for future research as presented in the Discussion Section.

Pro-Environmental Behaviour and Sustainable Development: Evidence from a Survey of Lithuanian and Ukrainian Students

This research aims to analyse and compare students’ attitudes to environmental care in Lithuania and Ukraine using the New Ecological Paradigm (NEP) scale. The study also explores gender differences in environmental attitudes among students, and evaluates these attitudes using the Index of Environmental Care Attitudes. The findings reveal similarities and differences between Lithuanian and Ukrainian students, with Lithuanian students demonstrating higher ecological knowledge and a more environmentally conscious world-view. However, Ukrainian students show positive trends in engagement with environmental education. Gender-based disparities indicate that female students consistently exhibit stronger environmentally conscious behaviour. The study highlights the potential for Ukrainian universities to enhance sustainability initiatives and capitalise on the growing environmental consciousness among students. Overall, the research paves the way for targeted interventions and improvements in fostering sustainable practices in university settings.