Climate distress at a moral crossroads: how solastalgia conditions divergent consumer responses

Introduction Climate-related distress can support responsible consumption or coincide with affect-driven escape, yet the moral processes underlying these divergent responses remain unclear. This study develops and tests a dual-route framework in which moral disengagement (MD) and moral obligation (MO) link climate-change anxiety (CCA) and eco-grief (EG) with affective impulsive buying (AIB) and eco-conscious behavior (ECB), while solastalgia (BS) conditions key emotion-to-moral-processing associations. Methods An explanatory sequential mixed-methods design combined a cross-sectional survey of 582 adult consumers in Türkiye with semi-structured interviews conducted approximately 1 month later with 26 participants. Survey data were analyzed using PLS-SEM, and interview data were examined through codebook thematic analysis. Results CCA was positively associated with MD and MO, whereas EG was positively associated with MO and negatively associated with MD. MD was positively associated with AIB, while MO was positively associated with ECB. The corresponding indirect associations were significant. BS strengthened the CCA–MD association and weakened the EG–MO association, with significant moderated indirect associations in the expected directions. The qualitative findings clarified these relationships through patterns of rationalization, perceived agency, reparative action, affective consumption, and place-based stewardship. Discussion The findings challenge accounts that assign fixed behavioral consequences to climate emotions. Their behavioral relevance appears to depend on the moral process associated with them, while place-based distress alters the strength of these routes. The study identifies moral self-regulation and perceived agency as promising targets for future experimental research.