Predictors of pro-environmental behavior of political actors and residents in small German towns

Abstract Understanding what drives pro-environmental behavior (PEB) in understudied settings such as the rural areas of industrialized nations is essential for advancing sustainable development and mitigating climate change. This study examined the effects of environmental concerns, feelings of cognitive dissonance and moral disengagement, as well as innovativeness and life satisfaction on PEB among 1646 public officials and citizens from small German municipalities. Public officials, namely mayors and treasurers, are key actors for environmental decisions and serve as role models in those small communities. Hierarchical regression and moderation analysis examined the negative and positive influences of these variables on PEB. The results highlight the pivotal role of emotional factors, especially feelings of cognitive dissonance when failing to act pro-environmentally, with notable differences between public officials and the general public in these small towns. While environmental concerns have a positive impact on PEB, moral disengagement has a negative effect. Innovativeness does not have a significant influence, except when analyzing the subsample of public official sample alone, where it has a positive effect on PEB. These findings highlight the complexity of PEB determinants and emphasize the need for targeted interventions to encourage sustainable practices for decision makers in different settings.