IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v17y2025i9p3786-d1640195.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Selective Sustainability Practices: Evidence from Local Government

Author

Listed:
  • Nqobile S. Zungu

    (Department of Environmental Sciences, Florida Science Campus, University of South Africa, Pretoria 0002, South Africa)

  • Gerhard P. Nortjé

    (Department of Environmental Sciences, Florida Science Campus, University of South Africa, Pretoria 0002, South Africa)

Abstract

With anthropogenic harm to the environment, ranging from pollution to climate change and loss of biodiversity, there is a desperate need to adopt environmentally friendly practices. Through participation in pro-environmental behaviours (PEBs) as individuals and communities, we contribute to sustainability. The study aimed to examine the PEBs practised by local government officials, the factors that affect their behaviours, and their views on environmental issues. The article focused on 10 municipalities in the KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa. A qualitative approach and a case study research design were used, with 16 interviews and 25 observations conducted. Data were analysed following the principles of thematic analysis and triangulated with quantitative content analysis. The results show that while officials have an understanding of environmental issues, their participation in PEB is selective, with a prominent preference for recycling and green commuting over comprehensive sustainability practices. Furthermore, some officials indicated that these behaviours went beyond the workplace into their households and communities, mainly in rural areas. Barriers to participation were resource limitations and varying levels of interest. These insights can be used by policy makers and cross-sector stakeholders to promote the mitigation of environmental impacts and develop sustainability interventions.

Suggested Citation

  • Nqobile S. Zungu & Gerhard P. Nortjé, 2025. "Selective Sustainability Practices: Evidence from Local Government," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(9), pages 1-15, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:9:p:3786-:d:1640195
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/9/3786/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/9/3786/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Annalaura Carducci & Maria Fiore & Antonio Azara & Guglielmo Bonaccorsi & Martina Bortoletto & Giuseppina Caggiano & Andrea Calamusa & Antonella De Donno & Osvalda De Giglio & Marco Dettori & Pamela D, 2021. "Pro-Environmental Behaviors: Determinants and Obstacles among Italian University Students," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(6), pages 1-15, March.
    2. Pothitou, Mary & Hanna, Richard F. & Chalvatzis, Konstantinos J., 2016. "Environmental knowledge, pro-environmental behaviour and energy savings in households: An empirical study," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 184(C), pages 1217-1229.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Zofia Chyleńska & Eliza Rybska & Sylwia Jaskulska & Maciej Błaszak & Barbara Jankowiak, 2022. "How about the Attitudes towards Nature? Analysis of the Nature and Biology Primary School Education Curricula in Poland," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-14, September.
    2. Anthony Amoah & Thomas Addoah, 2021. "Does environmental knowledge drive pro-environmental behaviour in developing countries? Evidence from households in Ghana," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 23(2), pages 2719-2738, February.
    3. Ming, Yaxin & Deng, Huixin & Wu, Xiaoyue, 2022. "The negative effect of air pollution on people's pro-environmental behavior," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 142(C), pages 72-87.
    4. Ascione, Fabrizio & De Masi, Rosa Francesca & de Rossi, Filippo & Ruggiero, Silvia & Vanoli, Giuseppe Peter, 2016. "Optimization of building envelope design for nZEBs in Mediterranean climate: Performance analysis of residential case study," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 183(C), pages 938-957.
    5. Fang, Xingming & Wang, Lu & Sun, Chuanwang & Zheng, Xuemei & Wei, Jing, 2021. "Gap between words and actions: Empirical study on consistency of residents supporting renewable energy development in China," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 148(PA).
    6. Gkargkavouzi, Anastasia & Halkos, George & Matsiori, Steriani, 2019. "How do motives and knowledge relate to intention to perform environmental behavior? Assessing the mediating role of constraints," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 165(C), pages 1-1.
    7. K. Deshika De S. Jayasekara & Darshana Rajapaksa & U. A. D. Prasanthi Gunawardena, 2024. "Impacts of Environmental Knowledge, Motives, and Behavior on Ecotourism," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(11), pages 1-20, June.
    8. Shigetomi, Yosuke & Matsumoto, Ken'ichi & Ogawa, Yuki & Shiraki, Hiroto & Yamamoto, Yuki & Ochi, Yuki & Ehara, Tomoki, 2018. "Driving forces underlying sub-national carbon dioxide emissions within the household sector and implications for the Paris Agreement targets in Japan," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 228(C), pages 2321-2332.
    9. Yu Gan & Tao Xu & NengRui Xu & JiLv Xu & Dan Qiao, 2021. "How Environmental Awareness and Knowledge Affect Urban Residents’ Willingness to Participate in Rubber Plantation Ecological Restoration Programs: Evidence from Hainan, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-17, February.
    10. Sajid Rahman Khattak & Muhammad Nouman & Muhammad Fayaz & Laura Mariana Cismaș & Lucia Negruț & Constantin Viorel Negruț & Sultan Salem, 2021. "Corporate Social Responsibility and Employee Green Behavior in the Hospitality Industry: A Cross-Country Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(19), pages 1-15, September.
    11. Ioannidis, Alexis & Chalvatzis, Konstantinos J. & Li, Xin & Notton, Gilles & Stephanides, Phedeas, 2019. "The case for islands’ energy vulnerability: Electricity supply diversity in 44 global islands," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 143(C), pages 440-452.
    12. Szabolcs Nagy & Laszlo Molnar & Noemi Hajdu, 2023. "Understanding the Human Dimensions of the Intention to Use Renewable Energy in Hungary Applying an Extended Model of Theory of Planned Behaviour," The AMFITEATRU ECONOMIC journal, Academy of Economic Studies - Bucharest, Romania, vol. 25(64), pages 830-830, August.
    13. Sylwia Słupik & Joanna Kos-Łabędowicz & Joanna Trzęsiok, 2021. "Energy-Related Behaviour of Consumers from the Silesia Province (Poland)—Towards a Low-Carbon Economy," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-23, April.
    14. Saqib Ali & Habib Ullah & Minhas Akbar & Waheed Akhtar & Hasan Zahid, 2019. "Determinants of Consumer Intentions to Purchase Energy-Saving Household Products in Pakistan," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(5), pages 1-20, March.
    15. Ponce de Leon Barido, Diego & Suffian, Stephen & Kammen, Daniel M. & Callaway, Duncan, 2018. "Opportunities for behavioral energy efficiency and flexible demand in data-limited low-carbon resource constrained environments," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 228(C), pages 512-523.
    16. Waris, Idrees & Hameed, Irfan, 2019. "Using Extended Model of Theory of Planned Behavior to Predict Purchase Intention of Energy Efficient Home Appliances in Pakistan," MPRA Paper 109612, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    17. Li, Lanlan & Ming, Huayang & Fu, Weizhong & Shi, Quan & Yu, Shiwei, 2021. "Exploring household natural gas consumption patterns and their influencing factors: An integrated clustering and econometric method," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 224(C).
    18. Zhongfu Tan & Burhan Sadiq & Tayyeba Bashir & Hassan Mahmood & Yasir Rasool, 2022. "Investigating the Impact of Green Marketing Components on Purchase Intention: The Mediating Role of Brand Image and Brand Trust," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(10), pages 1-15, May.
    19. Selima Sultana & Nastaran Pourebrahim & Hyojin Kim, 2018. "Household Energy Expenditures in North Carolina: A Geographically Weighted Regression Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(5), pages 1-22, May.
    20. Sajjad Ahmad Afridi & Wajid Khan & Maqsood Haider & Asad Shahjehan & Bilal Afsar, 2021. "Generativity and Green Purchasing Behavior: Moderating Role of Man-Nature Orientation and Perceived Behavioral Control," SAGE Open, , vol. 11(4), pages 21582440211, October.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:9:p:3786-:d:1640195. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.