Pro-environmental behaviour in Europe: A comparison across individuals, countries and time

This policy briefs examines the determinants of five pro-environmental behaviours (whether individuals reduce and separate waste, use fewer disposable items, buy more efficient appliances, use alternatives to car and install solar panels) across individuals, countries and time. Raising Europea's engagement in pro-environmental behaviour can decrease Co2 emissions by 6 to 16% and cut costs by 14 to 30 percent given current estimates, making the targeting of European's behaviour important.

Results show that Europeans have on average increased their efforts living more environmentally friendly between 2013 and 2023. The youngest generations have adopted pro-environmental behaviour fastest. Pro-environmental behaviour varies considerably between European countries. Some of this variation can be explained by GDP, income inequality and country level concern about climate change. Individual characteristics like financial situation, feeling personally responsible for climate action and believing in climage change however appear to be most important for explaining pro-environmental behaviour holding country specific factors constant.

The results suggest, that in order to widen pro-environmental behaviour across Europe, education remains an important tool to increase environmental concern as well as feelings of responsibilty to the climate, factors highly correlated with positive behaviour. Nevertheless, also investments into lowering country-level income inequality is likely to boost pro-environmental behaviour. Increasing wealth of European countries however is unlikely to lead to consistent changes of behaviour in the future.