Enablers and barriers for behavioral change toward sustainable lifestyles and a green transformation

The climate crisis is both ecological and socio-political, disproportionately affecting marginalized populations. Transformative change toward sustainable lifestyles requires understanding not only individual behaviors but also the structural, social, and affective conditions that enable or constrain action. Drawing on Margaret Archer’s theory of reflexivity in the context of behavioral change, this article analyzes 401 narrative interviews conducted in 13 European countries. We identify key enablers and barriers to sustainable behavior at individual and collective levels, emphasizing the interplay of agency, structural constraints, social relationships, and hope. Our findings highlight the uneven distribution of capacity for behavioral change, particularly among marginalized groups, and underscore the importance of relational, affective, and institutional infrastructures in supporting sufficiency-oriented transformations. These insights advance theory on behavioral change in socio-ecological transformations and offer practical guidance for policy and community-level interventions.