The Impact of Environmental Awareness and Consumption Ethics on Proactive Environmental Behaviour: The Mediating Role of Political Position

Purpose – This paper examines how environmental awareness and consumption ethics influence proactive environmental behaviour, with the mediating role of individuals’ political positioning. Design/Methodology/Approach – Data were collected via a structured survey of 179 respondents and analysed using structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) and mediation analysis. Findings and Implications – The results suggest that conservative political positioning negatively influences, and partially mediates the effect of environment awareness and ethical consumption on proactive environmental behaviour. Limitations – The primary limitation is the use of a non-probabilistic convenience sample of Brazilian respondents. Future studies should employ stratified sampling to improve representativeness and explore variables such as social class. Originality – Despite increasing concerns about environmental issues, a gap remains between individuals’ attitudes and behaviour, particularly when political orientation plays a role. This paper contributes to the literature by highlighting the mediating function of political positioning.