How to create environmentalists: the best motivators

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to identify how five factors (environmental involvement, environmental concern, financial motivations, social motivations and energy concern motivations) motivate individuals to engage in pro-environmental behaviors (curtailment, capital investment behaviors and food-related behaviors). Design/methodology/approach: A survey approach is used to collect data, and regression analysis is used to answer the research question. Findings: Results show that social motivations are positively associated with all three behaviors such as environmental involvement, Environmental Concern and Energy Concern Motivations are positively associated with some behaviors; and Financial Motivations are not associated with any behaviors examined in this study. Research limitations/implications: These results highlight the widespread impact of social motivations, the more specific impact of environmental involvement, environmental concern and energy concern motivations, and the lack of impact of financial motivations on these three distinct pro-environmental behaviors. Practical implications: Given that social motivation is so strong and pervasive across all three categories of pro-environmental behaviors, leadership in encouraging a dialogue/debate around these issues is needed from all stakeholders, including government, industry leaders, think tanks and environmental organizations. Originality/value: This study incorporates multiple factors that have differing impact on three distinct pro-environmental behaviors