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Environmental Behaviour and Collective Decision Making–Series II

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Sustainability and Applications".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2022) | Viewed by 14947

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Dr. Ralph Hansmann

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Guest Editor

Transdisciplinarity Lab (TdLab), Department of Environmental Systems Science (D-USYS), ETH Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
Interests: individual environmental behavior; environmental education; communication and campaigns; collective decision-making and collective environmental problem-solving processes; social interaction in groups
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue, which is the continuing issue of the former Special Issue, Environmental Behaviour and Collective Decision Making, aims at attaining a better understanding of the factors determining the environmental behaviors and decisions of individuals and social systems at the levels of groups, organizations, and communities. The further development and application of behavioural and collective decision-making models and the investigation of viable approaches to improving behaviors and decisions through transdisciplinarity, mutual learning and cooperation, and collective problem-solving and participation, as well as through environmental campaigns and education for environmental citizenship, are special foci of this Special Issue.

PD Dr. Ralph Hansmann
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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Keywords

Environmental behavior
Environmental decision- making
Behavioral decision- making
Collective action
Collective decision- making
Mutual learning
Sustainability learning
Education for environmental citizenship.

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 426 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Examining the Factors That Contribute to Pro-Environmental Behaviour between Rural and Urban Populations

by Jade Sheasby and Alan Smith

Sustainability 2023, 15(7), 6179; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su15076179 - 04 Apr 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2044

Abstract

Factors that influence pro-environmental behaviour in individuals can be examined to assess the influence of a single element or combination of elements. In this study, eight factors were investigated for their influence on pro-environmental behaviour: environmental knowledge, environmental attitude, the influence of others, environmental responsibility, age, qualification level, employment status and locality (rural or urban). These factors were established from behavioural theory in the field of psychology, specifically the theory of planned behaviour. Data were collected via an online questionnaire, for which the participants were scored on answers to pro-environmental behaviour questions, which, in turn, were correlated against established influences of such behaviour. A multiple linear regression analysis examined the level of significance that environmental knowledge, environmental attitude, the influence of others and environmental responsibility had on predicting an individual’s level of pro-environmental behaviour. An ordinal logistic regression examined the level of significance that age, qualification level, employment status and locality (rural or urban) had on predicting levels of pro-environmental behaviour. The analyses did not detect a statistically significant relationship between any of the independent variables on individual pro-environmental behaviour. However, the level of contribution of each factor provides insights into approaches that can be used in policy formation in the education and marketing domains. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Behaviour and Collective Decision Making–Series II)

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19 pages, 522 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Couple Ethical Purchase Behavior and Joint Decision Making: Understanding the Interaction Process and the Dynamics of Influence

by Landisoa Rabeson, Corina Paraschiv, Laurent Bertrandias and Régis Chenavaz

Sustainability 2022, 14(13), 8105; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14138105 - 02 Jul 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2009

Abstract

We present in this paper a qualitative study of couple ethical purchasing behavior, based on interviews with French consumers. The analysis of joint decision making allows us to distinguish between ethical couples who favor the choice of ethical products when making purchase decisions together and unethical couples who do not. Our results show that ethical couples are characterized by a positive exchange of information, use of verbal and tactical persuasion strategies, and trust in the knowledge of the partner, while unethical couples are characterized by a negative exchange of information, difficulties with joint decision making, and conflict-minimizing strategy. Time, money, and pleasure appear as the most critical factors restricting couples’ purchase of ethical products. Our research provides the first empirical evidence about the dynamics of influence of one partner over the other within couples regarding ethical purchasing behavior. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Behaviour and Collective Decision Making–Series II)

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Review

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17 pages, 872 KiB

Open AccessReview

Indonesia’s Renewable Natural Resource Management in the Low-Carbon Transition: A Conundrum in Changing Trajectories

by Aloysius Suratin, Suyud Warno Utomo, Dwi Nowo Martono and Kosuke Mizuno

Sustainability 2023, 15(14), 10997; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su151410997 - 13 Jul 2023

Viewed by 1132

Abstract

A paradigm shift is required to transform current natural resource management (NRM) in Indonesia’s decision to move into low-carbon development to achieve the greenhouse gas emission target. No study has been conducted to assess whether or not the current approaches are reliable in anticipating the conundrum of the new juncture. We reviewed 10 cases of NRM practices in Indonesia from 2019–2023 collected from the Scopus dataset by integrating the prisoner’s dilemma approach into the socio-ecological framework to analyze the practices and the anticipated gaps. Our finding revealed that socio-economic governance is the dominant view in interpreting the competition between personal and collective interests in NRM. Seeing NRM as an allocation problem and the excessive use of the legal normative approach in interpreting and addressing the problem are flaws in the approach. Combining the prisoner’s dilemma approach with the socio-ecological governance framework enabled us to address the flaws. Promoting polycentric governance that accommodates social trust, reciprocities, and socio-ecological beliefs and reduces uncertainties about ownership and the resources necessary to reduce defective behavior is a solution to transform the structure of the competition. Revising the socio-economic payoff into a socio-ecological value-oriented institution is the strategy to address the conundrum. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Behaviour and Collective Decision Making–Series II)

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Other

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18 pages, 1688 KiB

Open AccessPerspective

Choices We Make in Times of Crisis

by Patrick O. Waeber, Natasha Stoudmann, James D. Langston, Jaboury Ghazoul, Lucienne Wilmé, Jeffrey Sayer, Carlos Nobre, John L. Innes, Philip Fernbach, Steven A. Sloman and Claude A. Garcia

Sustainability 2021, 13(6), 3578; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13063578 - 23 Mar 2021

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 8819

Abstract

We present a new framework that allows understanding those we deem irrational in the climate debate. Realizing if the issue is one of information, beliefs, values or means opens the door for more constructive dialogue. Decision-makers diverge in their responses to the urgent need for action on climate and biodiversity. Action gaps are fueled by the apparent inability of decision-makers to respond efficiently to the mounting threats described by scientists—and increasingly recognized by society. Surprisingly, with the growing evidence and the accumulation of firsthand experiences of the impacts of environment crises, the gap is not only a problem of conflicting values or beliefs but also a problem of inefficient strategies. Bridging the gap and tackling the growing polarization within society calls for decision-makers to engage with the full complexity of the issues the world is facing. We propose a framework characterizing five archetypes of decision-makers to help us out of the current impasse by better understanding the behavior of others. Dealing with the complexity of environmental threats requires decision-makers to question their understanding of who wins and who loses, and how others make decisions. This requires that decision-makers acknowledge complexity, embrace uncertainty, and avoid falling back on simplistic cognitive models. Understanding the complexity of the issue and how people make decisions is key to having a fighting chance of solving the climate crisis. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Behaviour and Collective Decision Making–Series II)

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