Mind the Gap: Why Do People Act Environmentally and What Are The

Mind the gap: Why do people act environmentally and what are the

barriers to pro-environmental behaviour?

By A. Kollmuss and J. Agyeman

Environmental Education Research 8(3): 239-260

It has often been noted that levels of knowledge and awareness about environmental issues have dramatically increased over the last two decades. Pro-environmental behaviour, or ‘behaviour that consciously seeks to minimize the negative impact of one’s actions on the natural and built world,’ however, has not followed suit. This apparent gap between knowledge and behaviour has been the subject of extensive analysis by sociologists, psychologists, and many others. A handful of frameworks for examining pro-environmental behaviour have emerged out of this analysis.

The earliest models of behaviour change were linear in nature, and posited that the acquisition of environmental knowledge leads directly to the formation of environmental attitudes and then to behaviour. These have been termed ‘deficit’ models, in which the simple provision of education is the solution to a lack of pro-environmental behaviour. Linear models of behaviour change were later adapted to include the influence of behavioural beliefs (concerning the consequences of the behaviour) and normative beliefs (about the prescriptions of others). Also critical are ‘situational’ factors such as economic constraints, social pressures, and opportunities to choose another action.

Altruism and empathy play significant roles in the pro-social behaviour models that represent a second framework for exploring pro-environmental behaviour. These models suggest that voluntary intentional actions may be taken to benefit others, and those who have their own needs filled are more likely to behave pro-environmentally. Individuals are also theorized to have various orientations (such as towards the natural world rather than society) that influence motivation.

Finally, sociological models argue that five variables influence pro-environmental behaviour: attitudes and values, possibilities to act ecologically, behavioural incentives, perceived feedback about ecological behaviour, and knowledge.

In sum, pro-environmental behaviour is a complex phenomenon, but behaviour change models demonstrate that the following factors are influential:

·  External factors such as institutions and infrastructure that support the behaviour, economic incentives, and social or cultural factors;

·  Internal factors including motivation, environmental knowledge, behaviour, values, environmental awareness, emotional involvement, and perception of control over the issue.

These factors reveal the individual, social, and institutional constraints on human behaviour, and challenge the assumption that humans are simply rational actors, making systematic use of available information.