Exploring Environmentally Significant Behaviors in a Multidimensional Perspective

Abstract

This paper contributes to the recent literature exploring the determinants of individual environmental behaviors. Contrary to many previous studies, which consider single items as proxies of individuals' overall environmental responsibility, we adopt a multidimensional perspective and derive composite indicators measuring individual performance on a set of distinct environmental dimensions. These indicators are then used to provide a more comprehensive picture of the complex mechanisms behind the formation of environmentally responsible behaviors. In addition to commonly investigated variables, we consider a richer set of determinants of green behaviors, nding that the level of pub- lic environmental protection expenditure, lifestyle satisfaction, individual worldviews and participation of di erent types of social actors all signi cantly a ect the degree of environmental responsibility. Our empirical analysis is based on data from the British \Survey of Public Attitudes and Behaviours toward the Environment" for 2009.