Pro-Environmental Behavior and Value Engagement

Pro-environmental behavior encompasses the actions individuals and groups undertake to reduce their ecological footprint, conserve natural resources and support environmental sustainability. Central to these actions is the engagement of personal and collective values—particularly biospheric values, which prioritise the protection of ecosystems, and altruistic values, which emphasise concern for others. These values shape environmental self-identity, a sense of seeing oneself as an environmentally responsible actor, and inform personal norms or internalised obligations to act in environmentally beneficial ways. Behavioural choices range from everyday practices such as recycling, energy conservation and sustainable consumption to collective endeavours like activism and policy advocacy. Research has shown that value congruence and strong environmental identity bolster motivation and persistence in such behaviours, while contextual factors such as social norms, cultural orientation and policy frameworks modulate their adoption. Globally, understanding the interplay between values and behaviour supports the design of interventions that resonate with diverse populations and yield measurable environmental benefits.

Research from Nature Portfolio

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Pro-Environmental Behavior and Value Engagement publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in pro-environmental behavior and value engagement across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Biospheric values: A category of personal values reflecting concern for the environment and non-human species.

Environmental self-identity: The perception of oneself as an environmentally responsible actor, which guides consistent pro-environmental behaviour.

Personal norms: Internalised moral obligations that motivate individuals to act in accordance with their values.

Pro-environmental behaviour: Any action taken by individuals or groups that reduces negative impacts on the natural environment.

Environmental group identity: A sense of belonging to a social group united by shared environmental values and goals.

References

1. The psychology of participation and interest in smart energy systems: Comparing the value-belief-norm theory and the value-identity-personal norm model. Energy Research & Social Science (2016).
2. I Am vs. We Are: How Biospheric Values and Environmental Identity of Individuals and Groups Can Influence Pro-environmental Behaviour. Frontiers in Psychology (2021).
3. Meta-analytic evidence for a robust and positive association between individuals pro-environmental behaviors and their subjective wellbeing. Environmental Research Letters (2020).
4. The value of what others value: When perceived biospheric group values influence individuals’ pro-environmental engagement. Journal of Environmental Psychology (2020).