Behavioral research has shown that those who are thrifty live greener lives

The aim of the research was to explore what non-cognitive factors – i.e. attitudes that are not conscious, but rather based on habits or emotions – influence environmentally friendly behavior. Mária Csutora, Zsófia Vetőné Mózner and Gábor Harangozó, researchers at Corvinus, conducted a representative survey of a thousand people in Hungary, the results of which were recently reported in the Social Responsibility Journal.

Frugality is a better green predictor than environmental awareness

According to the authors, financial awareness is not only good for the wallet, but also for the planet: financial Thriftiness directly contributes to green behavior. Those who pay attention to their spending are more likely to be frugal with natural resources – whether it is energy consumption, waste generation or their shopping habits.

A thrifty attitude is the strongest predictor of environmentally conscious behavior, and this is more important than whether a person considers themselves environmentally conscious, according to a study by Corvinus researchers. In contrast, a shopping-oriented attitude – the fact that someone likes to spend and buy new products – weakens the tendency towards environmentally friendly behavior. Although the relationship is not strong, it is statistically demonstrable: the more consumption is central to someone’s life, the less likely they are to make environmentally conscious decisions.

Encouraging moderation instead of consumption

According to the study, messages encouraging environmental protection and environmentally conscious behavior are not enough on their own, because narratives encouraging economic growth and consumption have a stronger impact. If the impact of green slogans weakens, if advertising and public discourse constantly encourage shopping, the impact of green slogans weakens. That is why we need not only campaigns on how to protect the environment, but also social models that present moderation and resource conservation as values. Less “plain” marketing can be greener than more green marketing.

One ​​of the most important conclusions of the research is that environmental protection does not necessarily require special effort, but is a natural consequence of conscious financial behavior. In other words: those who pay attention to their money also pay more attention to the planet. But environmentally conscious behavior cannot be shaped solely by education or information. According to the authors, cognitive incentives must be exceeded, because habits (such as thriftiness) and emotional attitudes (such as attitudes towards shopping) are at least as decisive. For example, they cite the fact that the experience of hiking in nature during childhood can lead to stronger environmental attitudes later in adult life than direct environmental education.

According to the researchers, companies can also do a lot by supporting thrifty and sustainable behavior – either through internal training or incentive programs. This could include energy efficiency training, waste prevention idea competitions or rewarding environmentally conscious behavior at home.

In order to protect the environment, companies should avoid messages that encourage unnecessary purchases and promote repair, reuse and shared services, such as car sharing or bike sharing.