Proper units for pro-environmental behavior: a review and feasibility study of private-sphere behaviors [Author Accepted Manuscript]
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study designs: Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis
Abstract: Greenhouse gas emissions caused by private-sphere behaviors are an important contributor to global warming. Therefore, one major focus of environmental psychology is on Pro-Environmental Behavior (PEB). Despite the importance of the topic, there is low consensus on how PEB should be measured. The present study explores whether self-reported measures of private-sphere PEB can be feasibly translated into a common metric of environmental impact (tCO2-eq). To this end, we reviewed a sample of articles published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology in 2023, analyzed how PEB was measured and assessed its impact in terms of carbon dioxide emissions. We then conducted a meta-analysis to estimate the potential CO2 savings associated with these measures. The analyses reveal high heterogeneity in PEB measurement, with a dominating role of low-impact behaviors. The results suggest that a stronger link between behavioral assessment and its measurable environmental consequences could make PEB research more rigorous, transparent and relevant for interdisciplinary collaboration and climate policy development.
Authors: Alfarone, Irene, Gondan, Matthias
Language: English
Subfield: Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
SDG: Climate action
Open Access status: gold
OpenAlex ID: W7128726957
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