Pro-environmental Activities Research Articles

Children’s moral judgments and reasoning regarding environmentally harmful behaviors: Variation by victim type and moderation effect of connectedness to nature

This study explored the differences in young children’s moral judgments regarding environmentally harmful behaviors based on victim type and the moderation effect of connectedness to nature (CN). Further, this study investigated which reasoning types (ecocentric, anthropocentric, and non-environmental) significantly explained children’s moral judgment. This study included 185 five-year-old Korean children and their mothers. The children participated in two interview sessions. In one session, they were randomly assigned to one of five groups—no video or video with unspecified, human, animal, or plant victim. In another session, they completed a Korean sentence comprehension test and a task assessing their recognition of animals and plants from the video. Mothers responded to a survey on their children’s CN and engagement in pro-environmental activities. A generalized Linear Mixed Model was employed using SPSS Win 27.0. Children’s judgment of environmentally harmful behaviors was more negative when presented with unspecified or human victims. The reasoning for their moral judgments and the moderating role of their CN varied by victim type. Environmental reasoning, especially ecocentric reasoning, was crucial in explaining children’s moral judgments of environmentally harmful behaviors. Thus, considering victims and environmental reasoning types is important for environmental education for sustainable development for young children, emphasizing the need to enhance children’s CN.

Sozology instead of ecology, other direction for ecosystem services and environmental protection-on the example of the Silesian–Kraków region, Southern Poland

Known mostly in Poland, formulated by prof. Goetel, science—sozology, perfectly corresponds to today’s developing pro-environmental activities. Sozology combines both concerns for the precious values of primaeval nature and the management of man transformed areas. It includes civilisation changes, climate change, and access to natural resources. The article discusses five main research directions: (1) Protection of the natural environment and mineral resources, (2) Rational spatial management, (3) Post-exploitation management of industrial areas, (4) Analysis and prevention of environmental changes and (5) Sozology and Eco-geosystem services. The authors of the article point to the need to integrate specialists from various fields who can jointly solve environmental problems. The world constantly needs new motivations to develop while preserving non-renewable resources (space and minerals). In Poland, science has gained popularity only among a narrow group of scientists who do not try to solve difficult problems on their own that require interdisciplinary action. The frequent dead ends of today’s environmental trends indicate that the word ecological is often not enough. If we use a sozological approach, it will turn out to be much more adequate for our current stage of development. Sozology may be the next direction and philosophy of life on Earth. Its goal is to protect resources so that they can be used for as long as possible.

Effects of consumers’ engagement in pro-environment activities on social media on green consumption behaviour

PurposeBased on the stimuli-organism-response (SOR) theory, the purpose of this study is to demonstrate the impact of consumers’ engagement in pro-environment activities on social media on consumer green consumption behaviour, and explore the explicatory mechanism and boundary conditions for the relationship between them.Design/methodology/approachThis study collected data from 312 Chinese consumers by using the research platform Credamo, a Chinese online survey platform. A structural equation model and hierarchical regression modelling were used to analyse the data.FindingsConsumers’ engagement in pro-environmental activities on social media has a positive influence on environmental awareness that positively affects green consumption behaviour. Environmental awareness plays a mediating role in the relationship between consumers’ engagement in pro-environmental activities on social media and green consumption behaviour. Furthermore, green intrinsic motivation and green extrinsic motivation play positive and negative regulating roles respectively in the relationship between environmental awareness and green consumption behaviour.Originality/valueThis study enriches the research on the antecedent variables of green consumption behaviour. At the same time, it also expands the research on the outcome variables of the impact of engagement in environmental protection activities on people’s subsequent behaviour, deepens and expands the research on green consumption behaviour and its applicable boundaries, offering both theoretical insights and practical implications for enterprise marketing strategies and government management.

Forging green Horizons: Revealing Catalysts of pro-environmental behavior in emerging market

In recent years, environmental pollution has started to threaten global economies. The understanding of consumer behavior within the context of sustainable development has become increasingly important to deal with this growing ecological complexity. Urbanization has accelerated in Pakistan, resulting in urban consumers raising more environmental concerns and promoting eco-friendly products. These concerns have demonstrated their commitment to sustainability and pro-environmental behaviors, such as reducing waste materials (e.g., plastics) and pollutants (i.e., smoke, dust, etc.), thus supporting eco-friendly behaviors. Today, Pakistan's urban consumers are well-aware of environmental complexities. As such, environmental knowledge is the driver of consumers' pro-environmental behavior, affective commitment and social capital also compel individuals to acquire ecological knowledge to enhance consumer behavior. This research considers customers' environmental knowledge and affective commitment, both of which actively contribute to pro-environmental activity. It explores the relationship between environmental knowledge, affection commitment, social capital, and environmental behavior in Pakistan. Data was gathered from Pakistan's urban customers and analyzed using Covariance-based Structural Equation Modeling (CB-SEM). The results indicate that affective commitment and social capital have a positive and significant effect on environmental knowledge and behavior. Notably, the relationship between social capital, affective commitment, and environmental behavior is mediated by knowledge of environmental issues. Through its findings, this study fosters an understanding of environmental behavior and explains the sense of responsibility and greater commitment in individuals, which thus leads them toward sustainability.

Evaluating Pro-Environmental Activity Premium at Different Levels of Innovation Propensity

Evaluating Pro-Environmental Activity Premium at Different Levels of Innovation Propensity

Smallholder Onion Farmers’ Perceptions on CSA Technologies: Their Inclination Towards Collective Participation in Pro-Environmental Activities in Nigeria’s Kano State

Smallholder Onion Farmers’ Perceptions on CSA Technologies: Their Inclination Towards Collective Participation in Pro-Environmental Activities in Nigeria’s Kano State

Challenges and Problems of Nature Conservation: A Case Study from Poland

The article aims to show the attitudes and views of Polish residents on the problem of preserving the natural environment from the perspective of their place of residence. The need for research in this area stems from the insufficient number of available studies on this very important issue given the global environmental challenges we are facing. The research gap noted relates particularly to the aspects of engagement in environmental measures, knowledge levels, and motivations for conservation efforts by local citizens. Environmentally and socially responsible behavior is part of the concept of sustainable development. Empirical research covered a sample of 500 adult residents of Poland using the CAWI technique. The results showed that the vast majority of respondents noticed numerous problems in preserving the natural environment in their place of residence. According to respondents, the way to reduce these problems is to increase care for green areas, promote renewable energy sources, and strive to reduce waste. Moreover, the research results show that respondents take initiatives to segregate waste, save energy, and apply the zero-waste concept. The main reason for taking action to solve environmental problems is to preserve the environment for our children and future generations. The results of these studies showed that for men, pro-environmental activities are more important than for women. These findings are valuable for policymakers, local authorities, and fellow citizens.

How dare we? The relation between language use, global identity, and climate activism

Identifying with and caring for people all over the world (i.e., a global identity) is positively related to pro-environmental behaviour. However, less is known how to foster such a global identity. Drawing on social identity theory, we investigated whether using inclusive (vs. exclusive) language in the context of demonstrations for climate protection increases people’s global identity. Moreover, we examined whether inclusive language use strengthens people’s intentions to engage in pro-environmental activism and their pro-environmental policy support, while reducing their denial of climate change implications, through a heightened global identity. In our pre-registered online experiment with a convenience sample mostly living in Germany (N = 307), we found no significant impacts of language use. Language effects did also not depend on people’s prior identification with the climate movement. However, our results show that, in line with our assumptions, the stronger people’s global identity, the more they intended to become pro-environmentally active, the more they supported pro-environmental policies, and the less they denied their impact on climate change.

EU regulations on reporting sustainable development as a determinant of limiting the environmental pressure of chemical enterprises in Poland

The period of validity of Directive 2014/95/EU, which imposed on enterprises the obligation to present non-financial information in separate non-financial reports, the so-called ESG was aimed to check its effects, complementary regulations and actual actions in the environmental area. Numerous works have analysed various aspects of non-financial reporting in the context of the directive, including several on ESG reporting in relation to air pollution emissions. However, it has not been examined yet whether there is a relationship between the level of reporting and the effects of pro-environmental activities in the context of the impact of regulations on it. A research gap in this area was identified, and therefore, the aim of the paper is to examine how selected chemical companies in Poland adapt to the EU guidelines on ESG reporting in the environmental dimension and whether it has an impact on reducing their pressure on the environment. The research period is 2010-2022, and the three-stage study used a quantitative-qualitative methodological approach. In the first and third stages, descriptive statistics and time series analysis methods were used. The second one includes methods such as content analysis, case analysis, GES Risk Rating, and expert analysis. The research carried out made it possible to conclude on the impact of non-financial reporting regulations on the environmental pressure.

Methods and Techniques Supporting Energy and Media Savings in Maintenance of Public Transport Buses—State of the Art and Recommendations

In the article, the authors discussed the topic of energy and media savings in a public transport company. The article is of a review nature, referring to 100 sources, including scientific papers, books, conference proceedings, and websites. In the first part, a detailed literature review on environmental protection problems in road transport and methods of solving them was conducted. Subsequently, the authors reviewed the literature content on maintenance as a pro-environmental activity in transport companies. The great accent was paid to the problem of saving energy and media in the maintenance of public transport buses. Based on the literature and knowledge, the authors proposed the possibilities of conducting a rational method of managing the operation and maintenance of buses from the point of view of environmental protection, based on the strategy of predictive bus maintenance.

Climate change beliefs, emotions and pro-environmental behaviors among adults: The role of core personality traits and the time perspective.

Climate change and its consequences are recognized as one of the most important challenges to the functioning of the Earth's ecosystem and humanity. However, the response to the threat posed by the climate crisis still seems inadequate. The question of which psychological factors cause people to engage (or not) in pro-environmental behavior remains without a comprehensive answer. The aim of this study is to establish the links between the cognitive (level of knowledge about climate change and degree of belief in climate myths), emotional (various climate emotions, especially climate anxiety) and behavioral aspects of attitudes towards the climate crisis and their determinants in the form of the Big Five personality domains and time perspectives. The stated hypotheses were verified by analyzing data collected in an online survey of 333 adults using knowledge tests and self-report methods, including psychological questionnaires (Climate Change Anxiety Scale by Clayton and Karazsia, Big Five Inventory-short version by Schupp and Gerlitz, and Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory by Zimbardo and Boyd), and measurement scales developed for this study (Climate myth belief scale, Climate emotion scale, and Inventories of current and planned pro-environmental activities). The results of stepwise regression analysis demonstrate the importance of the core personality traits and the dominant temporal perspective as determinants of belief in climate change myths, climate anxiety, as well as actual and planned pro-environmental behavior.

“Find a Place Where You Can Be a Part of the Change”: A Thematic Analysis of the Conditions that Influence Direct, Collective Pro-Environmental Activism

The harmful impacts of climate change are becoming increasingly apparent across many aspects of society, and pro-environmental collective activism may help slow its progression. While previous research underscores several factors that shape participation in pro-environmental collective activism, much of this research is informed by quantitative data. This study used qualitative methods to investigate the conditions that shape participation in collective pro-environmental activism. This study drew on four in-depth interviews with climate activists recently engaged in direct action. Data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Three themes are presented: (a) Tangible and local instances of environmental and social injustices encourage people to act on existing environmental and political values; (b) Activists are motivated to participate in collective activism by a need to belong; (c) A sense of hopeful group efficacy counteracts negative affect about the climate crisis. These findings demonstrate the interactive nature of the conditions that support proenvironmental activism

Promoting individual and organization-oriented sustainable behaviors among employees in tourism and hospitality

Despite the relevance of pro-environmental activity among employees in the workplace, the mechanism for encouraging green practices at work has received little attention in the tourism and hospitality literature. This study supports the application of self-determination and social exchange theories to improve understanding of the interplay between individual and organizational elements in developing eco-friendly behavior among employees at home and in the workplace. A quantitative survey of 374 tourism and hospitality personnel in the United States was undertaken. Individual-oriented elements (value-belief-practice norms) and organizational factors (organizational support for the environment and psychological ownership) were found to have a favorable influence on employees’ eco-friendly activities at work. It emphasized the significance of adopting environmentally friendly habits at home to influence environmentally conscious behavior in the workplace. Additionally, psychological ownership plays a pivotal role in mediating the connection between organizational support and environmentally friendly practices at work.

An Individual Decision-Making Model for Taking Climate-Friendly Action

Experts are concerned about the impending arrival of tipping points in the global climate’s ability to accommodate increasing levels of CO2 and methane in the atmosphere, at least partly due to human activity. The resulting environmental degradation and loss of biodiversity are likely to be devastating to civilized ways of life. This paper presents an individual-level decision-making model that can alleviate some of the cognitive paralysis that results from being faced with such a global-scale existential crisis as but one individual among billions. It achieves this by simplifying and organising the kinds of trade-offs that are required to identify the individual’s most productive course of action from among many alternatives. Choices between whether to engage in forced choice over organisational practices they might control (e.g., a business mission) versus social influencing (e.g., via a social media presence) versus changes in lifestyle are central. It shows that those with control over the behaviour of others will likely bear greater responsibility. Easier decision-making should increase levels of pro-environmental activity.

An Individual Decision-Making Model for Taking Climate-Friendly Action

Experts are concerned about the impending arrival of tipping points in the global climate’s ability to accommodate increasing levels of CO2 and methane in the atmosphere, at least partly due to human activity. The resulting environmental degradation and loss of biodiversity are likely to be devastating to civilized ways of life. This paper presents an individual-level decision-making model that can alleviate some of the cognitive paralysis that results from being faced with such a global-scale existential crisis as but one individual among billions. It achieves this by simplifying and organising the kinds of trade-offs that are required to identify the individual’s most productive course of action from among many alternatives. Choices between whether to engage in forced choice over organisational practices they might control (e.g., a business mission) versus social influencing (e.g., via a social media presence) versus changes in lifestyle are central. It shows that those with control over the behaviour of others will likely bear greater responsibility. Easier decision-making should increase levels of pro-environmental activity.

Pro-environmental improving products Qualityin SMEs from the Visegrad Group Countries (V4)

Purpose: The aim of the article was to analyse the pro-environmental approach to products improvement by SMEs from the Visegrad Group (V4) countries. Design/methodology/approach: The research was survey. The survey research was carried out in traditional (paper) and electronic form (MS FORMS). The survey was directed at electronic industries (machinery processing) belonging to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) from V4 countries. The results presented in the article refer to sample size of 379 SMEs, obtained between March and September 2023. Results were analysed in statistical way, i.e.: ANOVA test and Mann Whitney U test by significance level equal to α = 0.05. Findings: SMEs in V4 countries have a similar approach to pro-environmental improving of products. It was shown that pro-environmental activities of SMEs from the V4 countries, the lowest consistency of assessments occurs in the following countries: Poland and Slovakia, Poland and Hungary, Slovakia and Hungary. Practical implications: The research results may contribute to more effective and coherent development activities of SMEs in the V4 countries as part of their sustainable development, and also to take appropriate actions that will be supporting qualitative and environmental products. Social implications: The results can help SME entrepreneurs improve their products to protect the natural environment. In addition, they can be the basis for the development of SMEs from the V4 countries and their unidirectional development, which includes not only improving the quality of products, but also caring for the environment. Originality/value: The originality of the research is the determination of the current pro-environmental approach to product improvement in SMEs in the V4 countries. The novelty is the provision of current data on the importance of improving pro-environmental products in SMEs from the V4 countries and their comparison between companies in the electrical machinery industry. Keywords: Visegrad Group (V4), SMEs, environment, quality, product improvement, production engineering. Category of the paper: Research paper.

Üniversite Kampüslerinde Çevresel Sürdürülebilirliğin Teşvik Edilmesi: Türkiye’den Bulgular

The primary aim of the current study is to comprehend the development and evolution of environmental attitudes and to examine on-campus pro-environmental engagement among 16 undergraduates from two public Turkish universities through semi-structured interviews. Our qualitative analysis highlighted that several factors (e.g., the existence of environmentally aware role models in elementary education) are responsible for the formation of respondents’ environmental attitudes. The current paper also points out that litter pollution is a major problem on university campuses. To combat this problem, most respondents in the study reported taking proactive measures (e.g., disposing of the waste properly) to reduce littering and promote sustainable practices. In addition to fighting against littering, they actively take part in pro-environmental activities (e.g., tree plantation), prefer ecologically friendly mobility options (e.g., biking, using shuttles), financially support ecological organizations and attending their activities, and conserve energy. They also reported several factors for motivating (e.g., the willingness to protect the campus ecosystem) and hindering (e.g., lack of time) their on-campus pro-environmental engagement. Furthermore, our respondents pointed out that all stakeholders (e.g., rectorate, employees, students) regarding campus sustainability should take part (e.g., using effective measures for rewarding and penalizing) in amplifying the effectiveness of on-campus pro-environmental behaviors. With these findings, the current paper made important theoretical and practical contributions to campus sustainability.

SELECTED ASPECTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT IN POLAND AND THE WORLD

The purpose of the article is to identify and evaluate selected municipal government activities in environmental management for climate protection and to formulate recommendations for municipalities in this regard. The research methods used are: a literature review, and a quantitative analysis of CSO data on 13 specific indicators of municipalities (counties) on: climate change, air and groundwater protection, land use, biodiversity and waste management and qualitative analysis. The research examines the results of environmental management in municipalities in different parts of the world and on the territory of Polish municipalities (districts) of varying wealth. A comparative analysis of the management activity of municipalities (counties) in three groups of Polish local governments: the most wealthy, medium wealthy and least wealthy has been carried out. The study shows a higher intensity of pro-environmental activities among the more prosperous municipalities. The available CSO data are also insufficient to comprehensively assess the multi-faceted activity of municipalities in environmental management. The current priorities of local authorities and the natural conditions of the municipality due to its location are also important. It is recommended to increase the activity of municipal authorities, especially less wealthy ones, in environmental management, and to increase the activity of all municipalities in the legal protection of environmentally valuable areas and in the creation of biodiversity.

Financial Aspects of Energy Investments in the Era of Shaping Stable Energy Development in Poland: A Case Study

Investments in green energy are necessary due to, among other reasons, the growing expectations of stakeholders, climate change, limited natural resources, and improved quality of life. Unfortunately, the costs of implementing pro-environmental activities related to investing in technologies using alternative methods of obtaining energy are significant, which is why more and more entities are analyzing their profitability. The aim of this study, as part of a case study, is to assess the energy investment in PV panels in the logistics center (LC) being built in Central Pomerania. The analyzed investment fits into the activities of the development perspective of the renewable energy sources sector and is also very important from the perspective of shaping the conditions and stable development of the energy industry in Poland. The study proved that such a large investment, taking into account various forms of financing, will pay off within 15 years, which is a very good result from the point of view of its durability. The best variant of capital involvement is the option 20 (own capital)/80 (outsourced capital), which, among other things, confirms (in thousands of euros) NPV = 4.43, NPV (TGeBase) = 0.04, and NPV (CAPEX) = 4.32.

Factors influencing tourists’ intention to adopt classified garbage cans in tourism destination

Tourists who dispose of their trash properly can reduce the environmental problems caused by careless disposal and improve the effectiveness of recycling reusable things, both of which are essential for the pro-environmental growth of tourist attractions. Therefore, it is critical to classify waste in tourist areas so that travelers can practice pro-environmental activity. Few studies, however, have looked on how tourists feel about adopting classified trash cans in tourist destinations. This study examines the relationship between four types of value (altruistic value, biospheric value, collectivistic value, hedonic value), ecological worldview, three types of images (cognitive image, affective image, overall image) and intention to use classified garbage cans. A total of 407 respondents were collected in Taiyuan Ancient County Town via an online survey. Tests of the proposed hypotheses were conducted using SPSS and AMOS, and results showed that altruistic value, biospheric value and collectivistic value positively influenced ecological worldview, and subsequently, influenced cognitive image and affective image respectively. Affective image influenced overall image, while cognitive image has a significant influence on affective image and on overall image. In addition, hedonic value positively influenced cognitive image, and overall image positively influenced intention to use classified garbage cans. Finally, the theoretical, practical implications and limitations were discussed accordingly.