Building individual and collective mitigative capacities for carbon-neutral community through lifestyle transition: The roles of local institutions and psychological drivers

Building mitigative capacities is important for achieving the net-zero carbon emissions target in urban management, yet the discussion on community level that necessitates both institutional frameworks and behavioral dynamics remains marginal. This study aims to explore how local institutional factors and psychological drivers shape individual and collective mitigative capacities on carbon-neutral lifestyle. Study area focuses on three types of communities with different institutional settings in Kyoto Eco-School Districts in Japan: (1) those with grassroots initiatives or established specialized eco-councils to lead the carbon-neutral practices, (2) those where neighborhood organizations integrate such activities into community affairs without forming dedicated organizations, and (3) those have not developed any local institutions on carbon-neutral practices. Survey data across six districts (N ​= ​264) was analyzed using ANOVA, Hierarchical Multiple Regression, and Thematic Analysis on open-ended questions. Results indicate that dedicated local institutions and higher social capital significantly impact collective capacity, but they do not translate into individual capacity. Instead, psychological drivers, particularly identity and efficacy, impact more on individual behavior. The study provides empirical evidence that strategies for carbon-neutral lifestyle transitions are most effective when aligning institutional structures with personal values, identities, and local concerns. It also implicates two pathways, territory-based and theme-based communities, in facilitating mitigation transition. • Building community-level mitigative capacities is important for net zero urban. • Institutional and psychological drivers complementarily shape the capacity. • Socio-institutional factors predict higher collective capacity. • Psychological factors impact individual capacity through identity and efficacy. • Aligning local institutional frameworks with personal motivations is important.