The Psychology of Pro-Environment Action

Abstract

Materialism, lack of consciousness, and desire for luxury and comfort often lead to mindless consumption leading to the exhaustion of resources more than required. Most of the sustainability problems are rooted in human behaviour (Bamberg, 2003). Theorists believe that people often act as “slaves to their whims” and find themselves “locked in” to unsustainable patterns of living. This barrier stems from the roots of norms, habits, expectations, and societal pressures along with poor policy support. Our lifestyle and our consumption choices directly impact the environment and indirectly affect our society’s well-being making pro-environment action an imperative topic of discussion. Pro-environment action encompasses all the behaviours that result from ecological consciousness. Pro-environment action is more than just an adapted repertoire of actions. It is a mindful and deliberated choice of actions. Resource consumption, natural conservation, and support for environmentally friendly products make up the main three domains of pro-environment action. This chapter provides a comprehensive introduction to the area of Pro-environment psychology. It addresses questions like; why and when people showcase pro-environment action. It throws light on different categorizations of pro-environment action and its psychological determinants. Theoretical models underlying pro-environment behaviour are also discussed and finally, various impending obstacles in the way of pro-environment attitude and action are also identified.