RT Journal Article
T1 What drives pro-environmental behavior? Investigating the role of eco-worry and eco-anxiety in young adults
A1 López García, Laura
A1 Latorre, Felisa
A1 Vecina Jiménez, María Luisa
A1 Díaz Silveira, Cintia
AB Climate change (CC) is one of the most urgent challenges of our time. Research suggests that pro-environmental behaviors (PEB) are essential to address this crisis, encompassing sustainable consumption (e.g., recycling or saving energy) and active participation (e.g., protesting or donating). In this regard, young adults play a significant role as change agents. Considering the previous literature affirming the importance of CC emotions on PEB, this study aims to analyze the mediating role of eco-worry and eco-anxiety in the relationship between two cognitive antecedents (general willingness to behave pro-environmentally and CC agency) and two types of PEB (sustainable consumption and active participation). To do so, we gathered a sample of 308 young adults aged 18 to 30 years. Results show that eco-worry mediates the relationships between both antecedents (willingness and CC agency) with sustainable consumption and active participation. In contrast, eco-anxiety in young adults only mediates the relationship between CC agency and active participation. Our findings suggest that eco-worry plays a crucial role in promoting PEB more broadly, while eco-anxiety appears to be only relevant in influencing active participation. These results contrast with others observed in the adult population, so further studies are needed to confirm these findings.
PB MDPI
YR 2025
FD 2025-05-16
LK https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/129102
UL https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/129102
LA eng
NO López-García, L., Latorre, F., Vecina, M. L., & Díaz-Silveira, C. (2025). What drives pro-environmental behavior? Investigating the role of eco-worry and eco-anxiety in young adults. Sustainability, 17(10), 4543. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17104543
NO Grant from the Foundation La Caixa under the project titled “Benefits of Practical Eco-Anxiety: Psychological Predictors of Pro-Environmental Behavior”, reference number FS23-2B192, received by principal researcher Cintia Díaz-Silveira (Ph.D.), from Universidad Rey Juan Carlos.
NO Fundación La Caixa
DS Docta Complutense
RD 18 mar 2026