From Climate-Related Distress to Sustainable Action: Examining Consumption Behaviour

Abstract

Climate change is a growing concern that affects not only the environment but also how people feel, think, and behave in their everyday lives. Sustainable consumption behaviour refers to the everyday choices people make, which play an important role in influencing the impact on climate change. The present study focuses on investigating the relationship between climate change anxiety and sustainable consumption behaviour, with the objective of determining the degree to which the changes in the climate-related conditions shape individuals’ decision-making in daily life. Climate change anxiety refers to clinically significant distress related to climate change (Clayton & Karazsia, 2020); however, the use of resources that fulfil basic needs and bring a better quality of life, while minimising the consumption of natural resources and reducing long-term harm to the environment, is understood as sustainable consumption behaviour (cited in Joshi & Rahman, 2015). Data were collected from 151 participants belonging to the age group of 18-35 years from the Delhi-NCR region using purposive sampling. Measures included the Climate Change Anxiety Scale (Clayton & Karazsia, 2020) and the Sustainable Consumption Behaviour scale (adapted from Joshi & Rahman, 2015). Data was analysed using descriptive statistics, and Pearson’s correlation coefficient was computed. Pearson’s correlation analysis revealed a statistically moderately positive relationship between climate change anxiety and sustainable behaviour (r = .322, p < .001). Future research may examine factors, such as social norms and behavioural control, to better understand the underlying aspects of sustainable consumption behaviour.