Events and environmental sustainability: investigating the impact of environmental messaging and spillover mechanisms at a major sporting event in Sweden

Events in sports and culture may not seem to align with environmental sustainability goals given the consumption and travel associated with them. Since events are important to many people, however, there is potential in utilizing events as part of environmental strivings. Drawing on research of events and environmental psychology, an experimental study was conducted at a major orienteering event in Sweden to study event’s potential in encouraging environmentally sustainable lifestyles. The impact of an environmental message on beliefs about the environmental ambition of the event and pro-environmental behaviors was examined among participants (n = 296), as were relationships between pro-environmental behavior at home and at the event via different psychological processes. The participants who received the environmental message considered the environmental ambition of the organizer to be higher than those receiving a control message, but there was no effect of the message on pro-environmental behaviors at the event. Moreover, pro-environmental behavior at home and at the event were significantly correlated, and environmental self-identity, environmental salience in orienteering, and event self-efficacy were mediators (Adj R2 = .25). The study draws attention to the interactions between participants and event context in order for pro-environmental behaviors to be realized at events. Possibilities and challenges associated with facilitating pro-environmental actions in an event context, but also using events as arenas for change, are discussed.