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A Comprehensive Model to Explain Europeans’ Environmental Behaviors

Author

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  • Öykü Hazal Aral

    (Department of Business, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Bellaterra, Spain)

  • Jordi López-Sintas

    (Department of Business, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Bellaterra, Spain)

Abstract

Understanding the nature of consumers’ environmental behaviors will help design better environmental policies for a sustainable future. Drawing on the responsible environmental behavior (REB) theoretical framework, we disentangle the effects of social and psychological environmental factors on Europeans’ behaviors, considering that living contexts vary from country to country. Using data on attitudes to the environment sourced from the 2017 Eurobarometer, we measure the socio-psychological factors and environmental behaviors using exploratory factor analysis. A multilevel model measures the effect of individual-level environmental factors and analyzes the impact of the country context on Europeans’ environmental behaviors. Results show that the three tested environmental behaviors (eco-friendly purchasing, public transport use, and reduced resource consumption) are explained by individual-level environmental factors as well as by country differences, but the effects differ depending on the behavior considered. We also find that the effects of knowledge, attitudes, and perceived behavioral control are mediated by a set of social indicators (age, gender, education, and income). We conclude with a discussion of the implications for policymakers.

Suggested Citation

  • Öykü Hazal Aral & Jordi López-Sintas, 2020. "A Comprehensive Model to Explain Europeans’ Environmental Behaviors," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(10), pages 1-27, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:10:p:4307-:d:362518
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    1. Aneta Mikuła & Małgorzata Raczkowska & Monika Utzig, 2021. "Pro-Environmental Behaviour in the European Union Countries," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-19, September.
    2. Paola Briganti & Concetta Metallo & Maria Margherita Pagliuca & Luisa Varriale, 2023. "Exploring Citizens’ Behavior to Promote Environmental Sustainability: The Role of Information Overload and Urban Sustainable Policies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-17, February.

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