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<p>In light of current risks posed by greenhouse gas emissions, it is important to obtain a deeper understanding of individual ecological footprints to devise effective mitigation strategies. This pre-registered survey study examines the relationship between socioeconomic status, psychological factors, and people’s ecological footprints in representative samples from six G7 countries (N = 5069). While psychological factors, especially biospheric values, are linked to smaller ecological footprints, socioeconomic status has a more substantial role; individuals high in socioeconomic status have larger footprints, primarily due to their increased transport activity (air and car travel). Counterintuitively, the stronger their pro-environmental stance, the larger their footprint. The implication is that pro-environmental values alone cannot mitigate climate change, especially among affluent populations. Instead, targeted mitigation strategies addressing lifestyle conditions and high-impact behaviours, such as air travel, are essential.</p>

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Socioeconomic status mostly outweighs psychological factors in predicting individual ecological footprints

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

    开放获取

  • 发表日期：

    2026年4月16日

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  • Micha Kaiser,
  • Malte Dewies,
  • David Lin,
  • Cass R. Sunstein,
  • Lucia A. Reisch

摘要

In light of current risks posed by greenhouse gas emissions, it is important to obtain a deeper understanding of individual ecological footprints to devise effective mitigation strategies. This pre-registered survey study examines the relationship between socioeconomic status, psychological factors, and people’s ecological footprints in representative samples from six G7 countries (N = 5069). While psychological factors, especially biospheric values, are linked to smaller ecological footprints, socioeconomic status has a more substantial role; individuals high in socioeconomic status have larger footprints, primarily due to their increased transport activity (air and car travel). Counterintuitively, the stronger their pro-environmental stance, the larger their footprint. The implication is that pro-environmental values alone cannot mitigate climate change, especially among affluent populations. Instead, targeted mitigation strategies addressing lifestyle conditions and high-impact behaviours, such as air travel, are essential.