IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/masfgc/v26y2021i6d10.1007_s11027-021-09963-4.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Lifestyle decisions and climate mitigation: current action and behavioural intent of youth

Author

Listed:
  • Gary J. Pickering

    (Brock University
    Brock University
    Brock University
    University of the Sunshine Coast)

  • Kaylee Schoen

    (Brock University)

  • Marta Botta

    (University of the Sunshine Coast)

Abstract

Youth carry the burden of a climate crisis not of their making, yet their accumulative lifestyle decisions will help determine the severity of future climate impacts. We surveyed 17–18 year old’s (N = 487) to establish their action stages for nine behaviours that vary in efficacy of greenhouse gas emission (GGE) reduction and the explanatory role of climate change (CC) knowledge, sociodemographic and belief factors. Acceptance of CC and its anthropogenic origins was high. However, the behaviours with the greatest potential for GGE savings (have no children/one less child, no car or first/next car will be electric, eat less meat) have the lowest uptake. Descriptive normative beliefs predicted intent to adopt all high-impact actions, while environmental locus of control, CC scepticism, knowledge of the relative efficacy of actions, religiosity and age were predictive of action stage for several mitigation behaviours (multinomial logistic regression). These findings inform policy and communication interventions that seek to mobilise youth in the global climate crisis response.

Suggested Citation

  • Gary J. Pickering & Kaylee Schoen & Marta Botta, 2021. "Lifestyle decisions and climate mitigation: current action and behavioural intent of youth," Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, Springer, vol. 26(6), pages 1-27, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:masfgc:v:26:y:2021:i:6:d:10.1007_s11027-021-09963-4
    DOI: 10.1007/s11027-021-09963-4
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11027-021-09963-4
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11027-021-09963-4?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Jing Shi & Vivianne H. M. Visschers & Michael Siegrist & Joseph Arvai, 2016. "Knowledge as a driver of public perceptions about climate change reassessed," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 6(8), pages 759-762, August.
    2. Tjernström, E. & Tietenberg, T., 2008. "Do differences in attitudes explain differences in national climate change policies?," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 65(2), pages 315-324, April.
    3. Ajzen, Icek, 1991. "The theory of planned behavior," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 50(2), pages 179-211, December.
    4. Daniel Moran & Richard Wood & Edgar Hertwich & Kim Mattson & Joao F. D. Rodriguez & Karin Schanes & John Barrett, 2020. "Quantifying the potential for consumer-oriented policy to reduce European and foreign carbon emissions," Climate Policy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 20(S1), pages 28-38, April.
    5. Elgaaied-Gambier, Leila & Monnot, Elisa & Reniou, Fanny, 2018. "Using descriptive norm appeals effectively to promote green behavior," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 82(C), pages 179-191.
    6. Giovanni Baiocchi & Jan Minx & Klaus Hubacek, 2010. "The Impact of Social Factors and Consumer Behavior on Carbon Dioxide Emissions in the United Kingdom," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 14(1), pages 50-72, January.
    7. Mohamed M. Mostafa, 2016. "Post-materialism, Religiosity, Political Orientation, Locus of Control and Concern for Global Warming: A Multilevel Analysis Across 40 Nations," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 128(3), pages 1273-1298, September.
    8. Judith Green & Rebecca Steinbach & Emma Garnett & Nicola Christie & Lindsay Prior, 2018. "Automobility reconfigured? Ironic seductions and mundane freedoms in 16–21 year olds’ accounts of car driving and ownership," Mobilities, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 13(1), pages 14-28, January.
    9. Seth Wynes & Jiaying Zhao & Simon D. Donner, 2020. "How well do people understand the climate impact of individual actions?," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 162(3), pages 1521-1534, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Anne-Sophie Denault & Maxim Bouchard & Jasmine Proulx & François Poulin & Véronique Dupéré & Isabelle Archambault & Marie Denise Lavoie, 2024. "Predictors of Pro-Environmental Behaviors in Adolescence: A Scoping Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(13), pages 1-38, June.

    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. Chad M. Baum & Christian Gross, 2017. "Sustainability policy as if people mattered: developing a framework for environmentally significant behavioral change," Journal of Bioeconomics, Springer, vol. 19(1), pages 53-95, April.
    2. Jichao Geng & Na Yang & Wei Zhang & Li Yang, 2023. "Public Willingness to Pay for Green Lifestyle in China: A Contingent Valuation Method Based on Integrated Model," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(3), pages 1-23, January.
    3. Shanmugavel, Nagarajan & Balakrishnan, Janarthanan, 2023. "Influence of pro-environmental behaviour towards behavioural intention of electric vehicles," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 187(C).
    4. Vu, Ha Thu & Tran, Duc & Goto, Daisaku & Kawata, Keisuke, 2020. "Does experience sharing affect farmers’ pro-environmental behavior? A randomized controlled trial in Vietnam," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 136(C).
    5. Valentina Carfora & Giulia Buscicchio & Patrizia Catellani, 2021. "Integrating Personal and Pro-Environmental Motives to Explain Italian Women’s Purchase of Sustainable Clothing," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(19), pages 1-22, September.
    6. Imran Hossain & Maria Fekete-Farkas & Md. Nekmahmud, 2022. "Purchase Behavior of Energy-Efficient Appliances Contribute to Sustainable Energy Consumption in Developing Country: Moral Norms Extension of the Theory of Planned Behavior," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-20, June.
    7. Serena L. Colombo & Salvatore G. Chiarella & Camille Lefrançois & Jacques Fradin & Antonino Raffone & Luca Simione, 2023. "Why Knowing about Climate Change Is Not Enough to Change: A Perspective Paper on the Factors Explaining the Environmental Knowledge-Action Gap," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(20), pages 1-17, October.
    8. Alexis H. Villacis & Jeffrey R. Alwang & Victor Barrera, 2021. "Linking risk preferences and risk perceptions of climate change: A prospect theory approach," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 52(5), pages 863-877, September.
    9. Tao, Yujie & Duan, Maosheng & Deng, Zhe, 2021. "Using an extended theory of planned behaviour to explain willingness towards voluntary carbon offsetting among Chinese consumers," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 185(C).
    10. Yongliang Yang & Yiyang Guo & Suqing Luo, 2020. "Consumers’ Intention and Cognition for Low-Carbon Behavior: A Case Study of Hangzhou in China," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-19, November.
    11. Long, Ruyin & Wang, Jiaqi & Chen, Hong & Li, Qianwen & Wu, Meifen & Tan-Soo, Jie-Sheng, 2023. "Applying multilevel structural equation modeling to energy-saving behavior: The interaction of individual- and city-level factors," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 174(C).
    12. Cecilia Matasci & Marcel Gauch & Heinz Böni & Patrick Wäger, 2021. "The Influence of Consumer Behavior on Climate Change: The Case of Switzerland," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(5), pages 1-24, March.
    13. Emőke Kiss & Dániel Balla & András Donát Kovács, 2022. "Characteristics of Climate Concern—Attitudes and Personal Actions—A Case Study of Hungarian Settlements," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-22, April.
    14. Andersson, Ylva & Timmons, Shane & Lunn, Pete, 2022. "Youth knowledge and perceptions of climate mitigation," Research Series, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), number RS153.
    15. Lilian Kojan & Laura Burbach & Martina Ziefle & André Calero Valdez, 2022. "Perceptions of behaviour efficacy, not perceptions of threat, are drivers of COVID-19 protective behaviour in Germany," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 9(1), pages 1-15, December.
    16. Lisbeth Weitensfelder & Karen Heesch & Elisabeth Arnold & Martin Schwarz & Kathrin Lemmerer & Hans-Peter Hutter, 2023. "Areas of Individual Consumption Reduction: A Focus on Implemented Restrictions and Willingness for Further Cut-Backs," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-21, March.
    17. Barbara Culiberg & Hichang Cho & Mateja Kos Koklic & Vesna Zabkar, 2023. "The Role of Moral Foundations, Anticipated Guilt and Personal Responsibility in Predicting Anti-consumption for Environmental Reasons," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 182(2), pages 465-481, January.
    18. Lundheim, Sigurd Hilmo & Vesely, Stepan & Nayum, Alim & Klöckner, Christian A., 2021. "From vague interest to strong intentions to install solar panels on private homes in the North – An analysis of psychological drivers," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 165(P1), pages 455-463.
    19. Maria Andersson & Ola Eriksson & Chris Von Borgstede, 2012. "The Effects of Environmental Management Systems on Source Separation in the Work and Home Settings," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 4(6), pages 1-17, June.
    20. Tran Huy Phuong & Thanh Trung Hieu, 2015. "Predictors of Entrepreneurial Intentions of Undergraduate Students in Vietnam: An Empirical Study," International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, Human Resource Management Academic Research Society, International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, vol. 5(8), pages 46-55, August.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:spr:masfgc:v:26:y:2021:i:6:d:10.1007_s11027-021-09963-4. 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: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.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.