Pro-environmental Interventions Research Articles

Effectiveness of pro-environmental interventions to support the potential of religious tourism in the Murung Kenanga Village

Religious tourism is a part of tourism that is closely related to religious aspects. In South Kalimantan, there are many tombs of ulama that are often used as pilgrimage destinations, one of which is in Murung Kenanga Village. However, the lack of knowledge about pro-environmental behavior has resulted in low public awareness of environmental cleanliness. This community service activity aims to increase public awareness of pro-environmental behavior. The method used in this community service is psychoeducation on pro-environmental behavior. The results of this community service activity show a significant increase in knowledge about pro-environmental behavior, which can support the potential of religious tourism among the people of Murung Kenanga Village.

Effectiveness of Pro-Environmental Interventions to Improve Ecological Behavior

This research aims to determine the effectiveness of Pro-Environmental Behavior intervention in improving ecological behavior. The interventions provided are in the form of psychoeducation and individual tasks related to aspects of pro-environmental behavior which include recycling, energy conservation, and vicarious social behavior towards conservation. This research uses a quasi-experimental method with a one-group pretest-posttest design. Sampling was carried out using a purposive sampling method which was determined through inclusion and exclusion criteria. The participants selected in this study were 8 members of Fishing Community X who showed low ecological behavior as measured by the General Ecological Behavior Scale (GEB). The data analysis used in testing the pre-test and post-test data was the paired sample t-test. In this study, t-count > t-table was obtained, namely 8,683 > 2.365. The results of this analysis show that pro-environmental behavior interventions have proven effective in improving the ecological behavior of research participants through providing psychoeducation and activities that provide benefits to the environment.

Bee Well: a positive psychological impact of a pro-environmental intervention on beekeepers' and their families' wellbeing.

Bees are excellent pollinators and serve an essential environmental purpose. However, little is known about the wellbeing impact of bees on humans. This research addressed the knowledge gap concerning the impact of beekeeping on the wellbeing of beekeepers and their families, focusing on the often-overlooked psychological, emotional, and social dimensions. Thirty farmers in Ireland participating in the Let it Bee project, aimed at promoting biodiversity and water source protection, were provided with bee hives. Twelve participants were interviewed to explore the effects of beekeeping on their wellbeing. Thematic Analysis was employed to analyze the data, revealing five central themes. (1) The centrality of pride in accomplishing environmental and community objectives in the farmers' beekeeping activities; (2) the evolving sense of togetherness with nature, family, and community throughout the project; (3) a profound sense of contributing significantly to the greater good; (4) the recognized value of beekeeping for beekeepers' psychological growth, flow, and relaxation; and (5) the opportunity for beekeepers to leverage their character strengths. The implications of these findings are discussed within the framework of their impact on environmental conservation, healthcare policymaking, and implications for research and practice.

Should we talk (more) about climate change when promoting energy conservation? An intervention in Swiss households

To encourage energy conservation, some interventions refer to abstract, large-scale, and complex phenomena (e.g., climate change), while others rely on concrete actions (e.g., changing light bulbs) and consequences (e.g., saving money). Some also combine both. Mostly conducted in non-applied settings, existing studies that compare the impact of abstract vs. concrete pro-environmental interventions have yielded mixed results. Moreover, they have not documented the potential advantage, in the long term, of adding abstract information to an existing concrete intervention. With this goal in mind, we joined an intervention in which households of two neighbourhoods (N = 177) participated in an energy conservation programme encouraging and facilitating concrete energy-conserving behaviours. We randomly assigned about half of the households to a concrete-only condition (the basic intervention) and half to a condition in which we also provided abstract environmental information. Results showed that an abstract message added to a concrete intervention successfully increased the amount of attention households reported paying to energy consumption six months after the intervention, compared to the concrete-only intervention. An abstract message also had an indirect impact on energy saving behaviours six months later, through increased biospheric (environmental) values. Taken together, these results suggest that low-level construal goals, such as everyday energy saving behaviours, should be accompanied by high-level construal goals, such as limiting climate change, to increase individuals’ willingness to act for the environment.

A problem to tackle: soccer players’ awareness of microplastic infill in soccer fields predicts support for pro-environmental interventions

A problem to tackle: soccer players’ awareness of microplastic infill in soccer fields predicts support for pro-environmental interventions

Do pro-environmental interventions matter in restoring environmental sustainability? Unveiling the role of environmental tax, green innovation and air transport in G-7 nations

Attaining sustainability has become one of the central goals, and environmental sustainability has received wider attention from policymakers due to its apparent significance. To attain environmental sustainability, developed nations have adopted various pro-environmental interventions, aiming to curb emissions intensities across all sectors directly or indirectly entangled with the environment. In this milieu, the air transportation sector, which is believed to exert a perilous impression on environmental integrity, has received scant attention from scholars. Moreover, the scholarship on the emissions-mediating role of environmental innovation in the air transportation sector is still very nascent. Given that the transportation sector, specifically air transport, plays a crucial role in making commuting easy, the curtailment of the emissions intensities in this sector could have an astounding positive impression on environmental sustainability. Adopting eco-friendly innovations can be a potent way to attain green transportation in the air transportation sector. Thus, the present study investigates the impact of air transportation, globalization, environmental tax, and green innovation on the ecological footprint in the G7 countries from 1994 to 2020 using the novel MMQR approach. Findings reveal that environmental tax, green innovation, and globalization play a key role in mitigating environmental pollution while air transportation accelerates emissions. Furthermore, the interaction of air transportation and green innovation was found to significantly mitigate environmental contamination, thereby proving an effective way to decarbonize the air transportation sector in the G7 countries. The findings suggest the need to invest extensively in eco-friendly technologies, especially in the air transportation sector, support globalization, and consolidate the existing environmental tax system to meet the ecological sustainability target.

Does China's low-carbon city pilot intervention limit electricity consumption? An analysis of industrial energy efficiency using time-varying DID model

Emissions depletion through pro-environmental interventions by top emitters like China has profound significance in improving the atmosphere's cumulative carbon efficiency. China's electricity sector is accountable for almost 40% of its total aggregated emissions, indicating that China's electricity sector does not yet follow the energy conservation and energy efficiency theories, which require urgent attention if China aspires to achieve carbon emissions peak and neutrality by 2030 and 2050, respectively. Chinese lawmakers have adopted pro-environmental interventions to limit emissions, like constructing low-carbon city pilots (LCCP). LCCP intervention has successfully curbed emissions in China's major cities, which earlier studies have validated. However, no study assesses whether the LCCP intervention supports enterprises in reducing their electric energy consumption intensity (EECI) by upgrading their energy conservation attitude and improving power efficiency. To address this fundamental question, we construct a time-varying difference-in-difference (DID) model to comprehensively investigate the consequences of LCCP intervention on EECI, using matched data from the Chinese Enterprise Pollution Emissions Database and the Chinese Industrial Enterprise Database from 2007 to 2014. The findings unfold as follows: 1) The LCCP intervention significantly reduces the firm's electricity consumption intensity (i.e., a one percentage point increase in LCCP curbs EECI by 3.14%). 2) We observe significant heterogeneity in the effect of LCCP on EECI based on the ownership, location, and input characteristics of the intervened firms (i.e., LCCP has an insignificant effect on EECI for firms that are state-owned, labor-driven, and located in western zones. However, it has a more substantial inhibitory effect on EECI for firms that are: located in non-resource-based cities, foreign and private-owned, capital and technology-driven, and non-western). 3) The LCCP intervention promotes enterprises' power consumption via the energy-saving and green innovation effects, which boosts enterprises' energy conservation attitude and energy efficiency in the long term. The conclusion remains untapped after mitigating sequence-related issues, limiting the influence of alternative policies, employing lagged terms, and deploying different estimation strategies (i.e., PSM-DID). Several policies have been advocated in line with the findings in the ultimate section.

Pro-environmental messages have more effect when they come from less familiar brands

PurposeThis research aims to compare consumer responses to pro-environmental communication and appeals to recycle packaging when these messages come from a high-familiarity versus a low-familiarity brand.Design/methodology/approachTwo online between-subjects experimental studies evaluate consumer perceptions and the willingness to comply with recycling appeals in response to pro-environmental communications from a high-familiarity versus a low-familiarity brand. To test the hypotheses, the studies examine the moderating role of sustainability habits and the mediating role of shared environmental responsibility.FindingsFindings show that communicating a brand’s adoption of sustainable packaging is more salient to consumers when the appeal comes from a low-familiarity rather than a high-familiarity brand, especially when sustainability habits are weaker. The mediating role of shared environmental responsibility partly explains consumers’ commitment to act pro-environmentally.Research limitations/implicationsSustainability officials and policymakers should consider the impact of pro-environmental interventions that encourage collective recycling between brands and consumers. Practitioners are encouraged to examine revised waste management schemes such as extended producer responsibility programs to elicit the collaboration of consumers in initiatives that boost recycling and stimulate pro-environmental behaviors.Originality/valueUsing the diagnosticity–accessibility framework and habit theory, to the best of the author’s knowledge, this research is among the first to empirically examine the role of sustainability habits in consumer responses to pro-environmental brand communications. It also highlights consumers’ willingness to comply with brands’ take-back programs in a shared effort to reduce plastic waste and encourage a circular economy.

Assessment of Belief Constructs to Support an Intervention in Municipal Solid Waste Separation at the Source in Low–Middle-Income Countries: Observations from the Greater Accra Region of Ghana

This article uses a modified model of the theory of planned behaviour to assess salient beliefs of household heads towards the separation of municipal solid waste at its source in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. Structural equation modelling was used to analyse the responses of 598 household heads to a questionnaire in a cross-sectional design. Whilst the default model produced an acceptable fit to the data and explained 37% of the variance in households’ intention to separate waste at its source, the modified model with moral norms as an additional construct fitted the data excellently, explaining 52% of the variance in intention. Moral norms and perceived behavioural control were the predominant latent constructs to influence intentions. Control beliefs related to the availability of waste receptacles, provision of regular waste collection services, and access to knowledge of the separation process had the greatest tendency to facilitate households’ intentions. Pro-environmental interventions designed in a participatory manner to promote moral correctness, responsibility, respect for the environment, and positive affect may empower households to separate waste at its source. This research contributes to the development of a municipal solid waste strategy in the region, and may further support research in waste diversion and the circular economy in other jurisdictions.

When More is More: Do Non-Restricted Goals Benefit Employers and the Environment Too?

Prior research on goal self-concordance (GSC) and goal attainment (GA) has studied these dimensions as transversal sections through a person's life domains. Blending the recent developments in self-determination theory and pro-environmental behavior literature, the current study introduced the concept of non-restricted goals and explored whether work climate (WCQ) and environmental identity (EID) impact GA and, through it, in-role job performance (IRB), organizational citizenship behaviors (OCB) and wellbeing, as well as organizational citizenship behaviors for the environment (OCBE). It also explored GSC along with basic psychological needs' satisfaction (BPNS) and GA, as explanatory mechanisms. The study relied on data collected at two different moments in time, with a retained sample of 201 employees from different organizations. Results confirmed that WCQ and EID are relevant antecedents for IRB, OCB and wellbeing, as well as OCBE. Except for the direct relationship between EID and OCB/OCBE, most of these impacts were indirect, through BPNS, GSC or GA. The current study did not find a significant relationship between GSC and GA, adding to the line of mixed results regarding their relationship. The findings inform pro-environmental interventions in the workplace, as well as human resource management practices that foster employee wellbeing, work-life balance, and job performance.

#LetsUnlitterUK: A demonstration and evaluation of the Behavior Change Wheel methodology.

The Behavior Change Wheel is the most comprehensive and practically useful methodology available for developing behavior change interventions. The current article demonstrates how it can be applied to optimize pro-environmental behaviors and, in so doing, give interventionists access to a rigorous set of theories and techniques for systematically developing pro-environmental interventions. Section 1 describes the development of an intervention to increase people's intentions to post anti-littering messages on social media. Study 2 describes the development and evaluation of an intervention to increase people's actual anti-littering posts. Both evaluations are randomized controlled trials that compare the effectiveness of the developed intervention with interventions less informed by the Wheel. We found interventions completely informed by the Wheel to be more effective than interventions less (or not at all) informed by the Wheel. The discussion explores how the Behavior Change Wheel methodology can be used to design future pro-environment interventions.

Pro-environmental interventions and behavioral spillovers: Evidence from organic waste sorting in Sweden

This paper evaluates the behavioral spillover effect of organic waste sorting on households’ waste reduction. We use an administrative household-level dataset on residential waste from a Swedish municipality. To identify the spillover effects, we utilize a natural experiment triggered by the staggered implementation of a policy that introduced home-based organic waste sorting bins. We find a substantial positive spillover effect of waste sorting on waste reduction. The effect, however, disappears over time.

Attachment to the Amazon Rainforest: Constitutive Aspects and their Predictors

Abstract This investigation aims to contribute to the understanding of the attachment to the Amazon rainforest and its predictors, considering the dimensions that characterize this extensive environment. Five instruments were administered to 333 individuals of both genders, over the age of 18, from the cities of Ceres and Manaus, evaluating the Ecological affinity profile; Attachment to the Amazon rainforest; Experiences in nature; Knowledge of the Amazon rainforest; and Socioeconomic factors. The results confirm that attachment depends on the length of stay in the place. Data shows that the ecological affinity profile plays an important role in the attachment to a natural environment, suggesting that this relationship is strengthened by understanding the characteristics of this environment and its experiences. Based on the perspective of Environmental Psychology, this study advances knowledge on place attachment predictors and provides important arguments for the development of pro-environmental interventions focused on emotional and experiential aspects.

Children older than five years do not approve of wasting food: An experimental study on attitudes towards food wasting behavior in children and adults

Food loss and food waste extensively contribute to environmental degradation. Children waste large quantities of food and more research is required to better understand this problem and consequently to reduce food waste in the youngest generation. Here, we examined affective and behavioral components of attitudes towards food-wasting in a group of 670 children and 123 adults, aged 3–28. The participants viewed food wasting and food saving in a video, and we tested whether age affected the moral-emotional and behavioral reactions to a food wasting vs. food saving person. The attitude towards the food wasting protagonist (operationalized as “liking” indicated on a pictorial scale) was significantly more negative than that towards the food saving protagonist in all age groups except for the three- to five-year old children. Behavioral attitude towards the video protagonists was defined as a willingness to share some goods with a food wasting vs. a food saving person, and in our study, food wasting protagonist received equal amount or less resources distributed by the participants. Additionally, our data suggest that food wasting preferentially affected food sharing in adults, but not in children, as food was shared with the food wasting protagonist in significantly smaller quantities than pens by the oldest age group. In summary, we show that even preschoolers disapprove of food wasting behavior, but only in 6–7 year old children this attitude begins to become well established; it consolidates at the age of 8–9 and starts to include a behavioral component at the age of 10–12. We suggest that pro-environmental interventions targeting food waste reduction in children should start at middle childhood and focus on behavior.

Self-nature representations: On the unique consequences of nature-self size on pro-environmental action

In three studies, we investigated the consequences of self-nature representations for pro-environmental action, focusing on the role of viewing nature as relatively larger than the self (i.e., nature-self size; NSS). Drawing on theories from the self, prosocial behavior, and emotions literatures, we anticipated that NSS would make unique contributions above and beyond inclusion of nature in self (INS) in predicting behaviors, beliefs, and emotions associated with conservation outcomes. In Study 1, greater INS and greater NSS uniquely predicted greater biospheric concern, performing more conservation behaviors, and holding more pro-environmental beliefs. However, only seeing nature as relatively larger than the self (NSS) uniquely predicted greater self-transcendence, stronger beliefs in anthropogenic climate change, and holding more liberal ideologies. Study 2 manipulated NSS without altering INS, consistent with a distinction between these two self-nature representations, and it found that increasing NSS inspired stronger prosocial emotions. Finally, Study 3 explored whether these size effects might be driven by views of nature size, self size, or their relative differences, and nature size provided the best account. In addition to suggesting a unique role for nature-self size and discussing how particular facets of nature-self size might matter in different contexts, the current work builds conceptual bridges with several psychological literatures and suggests new avenues for pro-environmental interventions.

Fleshing out the theory of planned of behavior: Meat consumption as an environmentally significant behavior

The meat industry is a leading cause of climate change in the Western world, and while reducing meat consumption has often been studied as a health behavior, it is equally important to understand its significance as a pro-environmental behavior. In a national sample of the United Kingdom (N = 737, Time 1, N = 468, Time 2) we sought to evaluate to what extent the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) is an effective model for understanding people’s intentions to reduce their meat consumption. Overall, we find that attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived control explain 57% of the variation in intentions to reduce meat consumption. In turn, past behavior and intention explain 31% of the variance in self-reported meat consumption behavior four weeks later. Somewhat surprisingly, habit did not have any predictive utility over and above the TPB constructs. The effectiveness of the TPB and implications for devising pro-environmental interventions are discussed.

Habitually green: integrating the concept of habit into the design of pro-environmental interventions at the workplace

In the course of sustainability strategies many enterprises and organisations have implemented measures to promote pro-environmental behaviours at work, including sustainable resource use. This task, however, often represents a challenge because many daily behaviours of the employees are based on habits and routines that are very difficult to change.This article discusses pro-environmental behavioural interventions in the corporate environment with a particular emphasis placed on habit formation. In reference to common behaviour change interventions and habit formation theory, we discuss how to enhance the design of behaviour change programs and support their implementation at the workplace in order to facilitate the process of habit-formation. The identified habit-enabling adjustments can be used to achieve a permanent reduction in the negative environmental impact of companies and thus become an integral part of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Environmental Management System (EMS) strategies.

The role of social learning in fostering farmers’ pro-environmental values and intentions

In interventions to achieve sustainability, social learning plays a prominent and growing role as a framework strategy in changing behaviors and intentions. Many interventions have been designed to achieve better performances in natural resource management, but the literature studying the effects on values and intentions is scarce. This paper studies the effects of the Local Agrarian Innovative Programme, which aims to promote sustainability, in two regions of Cuba. It is a long-term, on-going intervention in which learning, cooperation and social interactions play key roles. In this paper, outcomes and actions are considered a first category of learning (single loop learning), and subjective perceptions and intentions imply a superior category of learning (double loop learning). The data, mainly based on primary information collected from a representative sample, are analyzed in terms of differences in values and intentions, and reveal noticeable inter-regional diversity, while intervention duration appears as a decisive variable. From a policy point of view, this research calls into question the efficacy of short-term awareness projects and proposes the integration of social learning programmes when designing pro-environmental interventions.

Promoting energy conservation behavior in public settings: The influence of social norms and personal responsibility

How might psychological science be utilized to encourage proenvironmental behavior? In two studies, interventions aimed at promoting energy conservation behavior in public bathrooms examined the influences of descriptive norms and personal responsibility. In Study 1, the light status (i.e., on or off) was manipulated before someone entered an unoccupied public bathroom, signaling the descriptive norm for that setting. Participants were significantly more likely to turn the lights off if they were off when they entered. In Study 2, an additional condition was included in which the norm of turning off the light was demonstrated by a confederate, but participants were not themselves responsible for turning it on. Personal responsibility moderated the influence of social norms on behavior; when participants were not responsible for turning on the light, the influence of the norm was diminished. These results indicate how descriptive norms and personal responsibility may regulate the effectiveness of proenvironmental interventions.

Using Comparative Feedback to Influence Workplace Energy Conservation

Although research suggests that feedback on energy usage can generate savings in residential and organizational settings, investigations into the effectiveness of comparative feedback efforts have been fragmented and the findings inconclusive. To help fill this gap, we present research on the effectiveness of a comparative feedback campaign in promoting energy conservation at a university. Surveys were administered in 2009 ( n = 2,112) and 2012 ( n = 1,601) to measure the extent to which a comparative feedback campaign influenced behavioral determinants, such as conservation-related subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and attitudes, as well as self-reported behaviors. Results indicate that respondents in participating buildings increased their energy conservation behaviors and perceptions of descriptive norms. Furthermore, participating buildings reduced their energy consumption (kWh/ft2) by 6.5%, whereas non-participating buildings increased energy consumption by 2.4%. Our results show promise for comparative feedback-based campaigns as effective pro-environmental interventions within organizations and provide direction for future research and practice.