Pro-environmental behaviours of generation Z: A cross-cultural approach

More than two decades of scientific research have shown that human exposure to air pollutants has a major impact on health (Weinmayr & Forastiere, 2022). This problem has become particularly relevant worldwide due to greenhouse gases and the frequency of extreme weather events (Wu et al., 2022). Without mitigation, climate change will result in severe temperature disturbances, droughts, sea level rise, species loss, and food insecurity, and will threaten the social and economic growth of the world's population (Hurst & Walker, 2022). Therefore, it is increasingly important that actions are taken to raise awareness in society about the importance of pro-environmental behaviours.

Human behaviour plays a key role in the increase or decrease of issues caused by climate change (He et al., 2023), and it is necessary to make drastic changes in current behaviours in order to successfully tackle these matters. Unfortunately, some people do not engage with pro-environmental behaviours (Jans, 2021), but it is clear that everyone's support is necessary to help fight this problem. Consequently, it is necessary to establish a pattern of behaviour that helps to improve the effectiveness of the actions taken up to now.

Several studies have validated the Theory of Planned Behaviour (hereinafter TPB) proposed by Fishbein and Ajzen (1975) as a good predictor of human behaviour, which ensures that beliefs determine or guide attitudes and behavioural intentions (Kumar & Nayak, 2022). The TPB has a flexible model and has been widely used to measure behaviour in a business and industrial context. However, this theory is not without limitations (Ashaduzzaman et al., 2022) and the fundamental model may not comprise sufficient components when it comes to pro-environmental behaviours.

Similarly, previous studies have highlighted the importance of using generational cohorts in behavioural research (Kamenidou et al., 2019), so it is considered essential to analyse this factor to obtain optimal prediction results. The coexistence of several generational cohorts is a challenge, since each cohort has preferences for different styles of motivation and communication (Maan & Srivastava, 2022) and, on the other hand, individuals from the same generational cohort share similar attitudes, beliefs and values (Seyedimany & Koksal, 2022), so it is essential to know how to increase the effectiveness of actions carried out for pro-environmental purposes.

A generational cohort is understood as a group of people born in the same period of time, united by age and lived cultural circumstances (Llopis-Amorós et al., 2019). The generation considered for this study is Generation Z, individuals born after 1995 (Cuic et al., 2022). There are several reasons why this generational group has been considered as a research objective, not least that it is the most numerous generation worldwide and represents a large part of the planet's labour force (Sakdiyakorn et al., 2021). Several of its members are about to graduate from university, which makes them a vital focus for any type of initiative. In turn, this group is classified as technologically intelligent, educated, innovative and creative, which, to a large extent, shapes their pro-environmental behaviour and their basic social values (Parzonko et al., 2021).

Also, it should not be overlooked that the young members of this generational group will experience greater effects of climate change in adulthood than adults today (Wallis & Loy, 2021), therefore, it can be assumed that this generational cohort should be the most committed to adopting pro-environmental attitudes, since they are the ones who will have to face the consequences of poor environmental management (Dąbrowski et al., 2022). In turn, there is only scant evidence in the literature of studies applying this TPB to Generation Z on pro-environmental issues, which is important to analyse because this relatively young group will experience the main future consequences, suggesting that they should be the most interested in adopting pro-environmental attitudes and behaviours (Dąbrowski et al., 2022). Therefore, this study aims to explore moderating factors that may influence the pro-environmental behaviour of Generation Z.

It is important that the beliefs, attitudes, and behaviours of Generation Z favour a positive future for the environment because these individuals will not only act in their own personal interest, but rather, they will transmit part of their identity, their knowledge and emotional attachment to social groups (Jans, 2021) that will help preserve the planet in both the medium and long term.

Additionally, a cross-cultural approach has been adopted using a sample of individuals belonging to generation Z considering different nationalities (Colombian, Mexican and Brazilian) to see if there are significant differences in the results and to validate whether or not cultural impact influences the behaviours of this generational cohort. The reason why these countries have been considered as the focus of research is because there are several studies that analyse and compare pro-environmental behaviour within the contexts of European, Asian, or North American countries (Culiberg & Elgaaied-Gambier, 2016; Lange & Iwasaki, 2020; Punzo et al., 2019; Rao et al., 2022; Soyez, 2012), while research in other regions (e.g., Latin America) is rather scarce. Paradoxically, developing countries, where most environmental challenges occur, with their associated impacts, have received little research attention (Amoah & Addoah, 2021). Consequently, this work contributes to the previous literature on causal models of pro-environmental behaviour prediction by answering the following questions:

These questions are relevant for both researchers and managers, since they can help to create a roadmap that will establish actions aimed at mitigating the problems caused by climate change based on a behaviour prediction approach.

In order to achieve the proposed objective, firstly, an analysis of the main bibliographical sources of studies related to the subject of this paper is carried out. This literature review allows us to propose a theoretical model to identify the variables that lead to the pro-environmental behaviour of Generation Z and to propose hypotheses to be tested. Next, we describe the methodology followed to carry out the fieldwork in order to verify the existence of relationships between the proposed variables through a structured questionnaire or survey. This is followed by the results obtained, from which, finally, conclusions are drawn, and some limitations and future lines of research are pointed out.

The TPB, proposed by Fishbein and Ajzen (1975), is considered one of the best predictors of human behaviour and has been widely used to predict individual decision-making processes (Rao et al., 2022). This theory states that the individual's behaviour is conditioned by attitude and beliefs (Correia et al., 2022); however, when it comes to environmental issues, individuals are often influenced by other surrounding factors when deciding whether or not to adopt environmentally friendly behaviours. At this point, situational or motivational factors are considered important variables affecting individual pro-environmental behaviours (Cao et al., 2022).

Pro-environmental behaviour is defined as a conduct adopted by a person that is seen by societies as preserving the environment (Basiru et al., 2022) or, in turn, actions taken to avoid damage to and/or protect the environment (Correia et al., 2022). Along these lines, within the framework of the TPB, it is considered that before the individual opts for a pro-environmental behaviour, they must acquire a belief and later an attitude.

Beliefs are created by knowledge acquired by the individual in which different cognitive processes interact, such as attention, perception, and memory (Connors & Halligan, 2022), and are the result of cumulative experiences that are socially transferred to a large extent through education, organisational and cultural settings, and the exposure of individuals to the media and various sources of information (Laukkanen, 2022).

Attitudes are defined as the positive or negative evaluation of a specific behaviour (Ateş, 2020) and indicate to what extent the behaviour in question is agreeable, desirable, pleasant, useful (Karimi et al., 2021) or it can be the opposite and negatively influenced by disengagement.

Disengagement involves active and observable behaviours, for example giving up on a challenge due to negative emotions such as anxiety, sadness, and boredom (Taboada et al., 2017). Likewise, the condition is conceptualised as a lasting feeling guided by positive emotions that generates greater emotional empathy (Kim et al., 2018). In this sense, environmental disengagement is understood as the detachment of the individual towards nature.

On the other hand, motivations also play an important role in the adoption of the attitude and, therefore, in the determination of the behaviour. In this work, intrinsic motivation has been considered because it is positively linked to behaviour (Budzanowska-Drzewiecka & Tutko, 2021) and is more durable than external motivation, which is highly random due to the uncertainty of secondary incentives. Intrinsic motivation is defined as internally driven interest, that is, the passion, enjoyment, or satisfaction of performing a certain behaviour for pure pleasure (Faraz et al., 2021).

Similarly, an individual who has had previous experience in environmental matters is much more likely to develop pro-environmental behaviours compared to a person who has never interacted in matters related to environmental protection or adaptation. Therefore, the more frequently individuals become involved in environmental issues, the greater their willingness and enthusiasm for environmental protection (Ye et al., 2022).

Finally, it is also considered that the low effectiveness of the actions carried out with pro-environmental intentions is due to the attitudes and behaviours exhibited by the different generational cohorts (Prayag et al., 2022). Mannheim (1970) defines the generational cohort as a set of individuals born within a similar time span who share a life stage. More specifically, the generational cohort is a group of people who are of comparable age and experience similar economic, social, and cultural events (Lin & Chen, 2022). It should be noted that generational differences are not determined by the age of an individual, but rather by shared experiences within specific periods of time (Eger et al., 2021).

In the generational studies literature, there has been controversy in the categorisation of generations; however, for the purposes of this study, the most widely accepted categorisation has been considered: Baby Boomers (1946–1964), Generation X (1965–1979), Generation Y or Millennials (1980–1995), and Generation Z or Centennials (1996–2003) (Yawson & Yamoah, 2020).

With the aim of improving the effectiveness of the pro-environmental actions carried out so far, the pro-environmental behaviours of Generation Z have been analysed. This choice is due to the fact that the most interesting characteristic of this generational group is their focus on improving their skills and knowledge (Casalegno et al., 2022), which is vital in the environmental fight and can help to influence other generational groups.

The Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), which explains that beliefs and attitudes influence the onset of a certain behaviour, has been used as the theoretical framework of the study. Numerous approaches support this theory in different fields of research (Carfora et al., 2021; Jung et al., 2020; Moon, 2021; Raghu & Rodrigues, 2022; Stehr et al., 2021; Youn et al., 2021; Yuriev et al., 2020). In all of them, attitudes are explained by beliefs, which can favour both negative and positive affective responses (Dąbrowski et al., 2022). Consequently, in the context of this study we present the following approach:

On the other hand, this work also proposes to incorporate variables of environmental disengagement and intrinsic motivation as relevant factors prior to adopting an attitude. In this regard, it can be expected that the attitude represents a negative individual affective response due to environmental disengagement or a positive one due to intrinsic motivation. As a result, attitude becomes an essential determinant for an individual to commit, or not, to practising pro-environmental behaviours (Razali et al., 2020). These approaches are supported by studies implemented in different areas of knowledge, in which, from a positive perspective, intrinsic motivations influence the adoption of an attitude (Pihu et al., 2008; Cho et al., 2020; Qin & Tao, 2021; Al-Jubari et al., 2021), and from a negative and unfavourable point of view, disengagement acts as a predecessor of attitude, when studied from different approaches. For example, Brosch (2021) affirms that emotions are affective states that can be positive or negative and that to a certain extent condition attitudes. On the other hand, Ahn and Kwon (2020) mention that negative anticipated emotions are predecessors of attitude, or in turn, D'Arcy and Lowry (2019) affirm that a negative affective state precedes attitude. Environmental disengagement can also be understood as a lack of environmental commitment, which is supported by previous studies that corroborate that the tendency to morally disengage with pro-environmental initiatives is negatively associated with pro-environmental attitude (Nicolai et al., 2022). Similarly, previous studies have found that intrinsic motivation positively influences pro-environmental attitude and behaviour (Faraz et al., 2021). In light of the above, and within the context of this study, we outline the following hypotheses:

Likewise, it has been highlighted that, once the individual adopts an attitude, behaviour subsequently follows. This statement is supported by the TPB raised by Fishbein and Ajzen (1975). Therefore, as it is a more specific field, there may be variation in behaviour when it comes to pro-environmental issues. However, several studies support the relationship between pro-environmental attitude and behaviour (Bissing-Olson et al., 2013; Whitburn et al., 2019; Shafiei & Maleksaeidi, 2020; Chwialkowska et al., 2020; Davignon et al., 2022; Hossain et al., 2022). Based on this evidence, the following approach is proposed:

In this way, our proposal is aimed at intertwining the factors that condition individual pro-environmental behaviours and although attitudes are an outstanding antecedent, there are also other factors that influence behaviour, such as previous participation in pro-environmental initiatives and the same intrinsic motivations that influence attitude. Cheng et al. (2022) affirm that, for an individual to be committed to carrying out an individual behaviour, first, they must be aware of the outcome of not participating in a pro-environmental behaviour; second, they must perceive that the stronger they are, the more likely they are to implement pro-environmental behaviours. Finally, they must have a sense of responsibility, which is acquired through awareness of the consequences. Therefore, it is assumed that people who have previously participated in pro-environmental activities will be more aware and will be more predisposed to perform individual pro-environmental behaviours. In turn, intrinsic motivation also plays an important role before the behaviour is adopted, as supported by previous literature in different areas of knowledge (Afsar et al., 2016; Budzanowska-Drzewiecka & Tutko, 2021; Faraz et al., 2021). Based on this evidence, the following hypotheses are proposed:

Lastly, in the environmental context, several studies have examined the moderating role of nationality when analysing pro-environmental behaviours (Capstick et al., 2019; Higueras-Castillo et al., 2019; Lamiño-Jaramillo et al., 2022; Phuphisith et al., 2020) due to the importance of knowing whether culture influences these behaviours. Chwialkowska et al. (2020) propose a model of cultural influences on pro-environmental consumer behaviour extending the TPB framework by including additional variables showing that pro-environmental attitudes, intentions and behaviours vary by cultural differences. Similarly, Vicente-Molina et al. (2013) show that pro-environmental behaviour from motivations and attitudes vary by nationality. Furthermore, cross-cultural studies show that there are significant differences in pro-environmental behaviour with different cultural backgrounds (Mi et al., 2020).

In addition, other studies consider that factors such as beliefs, disengagement, intrinsic motivations, attitudes, and previous involvement in pro-environmental behaviour and climate change can be influenced by nationality from a cross-cultural approach. More specifically, McKercher et al. (2011) argue that beliefs and attitudes towards climate change and pro-environmental behaviours differ significantly across nationalities. Similarly, in research conducted by Wolf and Moser (2011), lack of commitment and negative attitudes towards climate change are influenced by nationality and cultural aspects.

Also, Gainsburg et al. (2023) support the possibility that country-level variables are directly linked to pro-environmental attitudes and behaviors, and thus to climate change. Likewise, Kim et al. (2013) validate the hypothesis that attitudes toward climate change are positively related to pro-environmental behavior. These allusions are supported by studies that consider nationality as a factor influencing pro-environmental behaviors (Pisano & Lubell, 2017; Wang et al., 2021).

At the same time, studies such as Capstick et al. (2022) show how nationality influences intrinsic motivations and pro-environmental behaviors. And, finally, previous participations in pro-environmental initiatives can influence individual pro-environmental behaviors being supported by studies that over the years have been tested considering nationality as a determinant factor in pro-environmental behaviors (Cordano et al., 2011; Culiberg & Elgaaied-Gambier, 2016; Izagirre-Olaizola et al., 2015; Morren & Grinstein, 2016; Poortinga et al., 2019; Punzo et al., 2019; Tam & Chan, 2017; Unanue et al., 2016).

In this sense, concern about environmental damage is increasingly pressing and several experts have analyzed differences between countries, such as studies analyzing the United States, Japan, Mexico and Peru (Bechtel et al., 2006); China and Japan (Branzei et al., 2001); Costa Rica-Mexico-Venezuela-Brazil (Christen et al., 1998); Switzerland and Sweden (Kaiser & Biel, 2000). Some research has incorporated a larger sample of countries: studies of 27 countries (Oreg & Katz-Gerro, 2006); and 43 countries (Inglehart, 1995). Therefore, it is important to know whether the model proposed in this study shows variations according to nationality. Consequently, we posit:

Based on the above, and on the literature review, an innovative theoretical model is proposed that includes TPB variables and combines them with additional factors that influence pro-environmental behaviours, with the aim of finding an adequate mechanism to help in the fight against climate change by individuals belonging to Generation Z. This model is represented visually in Fig. 1.

Based on the results of this study, it is certain that this research makes several important theoretical contributions to the literature, which recognises the need to make the population aware of the effects generated by climate change (Bikomeye et al., 2021). This problem is a subject of current concern, and will continue to be so for future generations; therefore, there is a need to change human actions at all levels (Vanegas-Rico et al., 2022).

The literature recognises the need to explore human behaviour in environmental matters, especially in the generational and cross-cultural context where the literature on pro-environmental behaviours is still in an embryonic stage. To answer this call for future research on pro-environmental behaviours, this study provides statistical support to demonstrate how prior beliefs, attitudes, disengagement, motivations, and involvement influence the adoption of pro-environmental behaviour in Generation Z individuals. In this sense, the main contribution of our study is that, although previous empirical research has considered the TPB as a model to predict pro-environmental behaviours, to the best of our knowledge, no work has contemplated this theory together with disengagement, motivation, and participation, which are considered relevant factors in an environmental context. Our research goes beyond those studies by combining a model validated in the literature with an added value that benefits the behaviour prediction. In other words, our results support the importance of individual beliefs, attitudes, motivations, disengagement, and previous participation for an individual to act in a favourable way with the environment and contribute to the fight against climate change. Another way to contribute to the advancement of research in the environmental context is to consider the generational cohort, since a relatively young age group shows different behaviour patterns in relation to other social groups (Parzonko et al., 2021). In addition, it is appropriate to include nationality as a moderating and driving force in pro-environmental behaviours as cultural differences have been highlighted in various lines of research as a factor to be taken into consideration.

In this sense, the results obtained show that (a) there is a positive and significant relationship between beliefs, attitudes and behaviours, as proposed in the TPB (Fishbein & Ajzen, 1975), (b) environmental disengagement negatively influences the adoption of attitudes (Ahn & Kwon, 2020; Brosch, 2021; D'Arcy & Lowry, 2019) while intrinsic motivations have a positive influence (Pihu et al., 2008; Cho et al., 2020; Qin & Tao, 2021; Al-Jubari et al., 2021), (c) the individual's prior involvement in environmental initiatives and intrinsic motivations influence pro-environmental behaviours (Afsar et al., 2016; Budzanowska-Drzewiecka & Tutko, 2021; Cheng et al., 2022; Faraz et al., 2021), thus confirming the results described in previous studies.

Additionally, the research model was estimated for individuals of Colombian, Mexican, and Brazilian nationality with structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) using a multigroup analysis. The study findings show that the model is valid and acceptable in groups of different nationalities and that most of the hypotheses are fulfilled. However, attitudes and behaviours between individuals of Colombian and Brazilian nationality may show significant differences, just as the relationship between environmental participation and pro-environmental behaviours is different for Mexican and Brazilian individuals. These results are in line with the reports made in previous studies that concluded that there are significant differences in the behaviours of individuals of different nationalities (Capstick et al., 2019; Higueras-Castillo et al., 2019; Lamiño-Jaramillo et al., 2022; Phuphisith et al., 2020).

In countries that apply rigid measures towards actions that harm the environment, pro-environmental behaviours will be aligned with the cultural values of that country, while, in countries with flexible measures, due to the wide variation in the cultural beliefs of the members of society, pro-environmental behaviours will vary (Mattison & Brouthers, 2021). In Latin American countries such as Colombia, Mexico, and Brazil, culture is unlikely to have a direct influence on behaviour, but specific cultural values may affect beliefs and attitudes, which in turn influence behaviour and may vary among themselves (Chwialkowska et al., 2020).

The results obtained in this study show that there are significant differences between individuals of Colombian and Brazilian nationality, which is not predictable since they all belong to South America and it can be assumed that the cultural difference is not as marked as it is for European or Asian countries. Leon (2019) affirms that individuals who share the same language, history, political and socioeconomic environment develop a considerable amount of common mental programming. Therefore, as they are countries with different languages and policies, this can condition their attitude and explain the variation in their behaviour.

Another determining factor may be that countries such as Brazil, Mexico, and Colombia are still undergoing rapid industrialisation and environmental standards are not capable of coping with the pressure generated by rapid growth (Vicente-Molina et al., 2013). Therefore, from a cultural perspective, it can be assumed that Brazil is better at environmental transformation than Mexico and Colombia. Additionally, it should be considered that Brazil is the largest country in South America, has the fifth largest population in the world, and has the most solid economy in the region (Haack et al., 2019); therefore, from a pro-environmental point of view, its inhabitants may perceive their efforts to collaborate in the fight against climate change as less productive and influential compared to the inhabitants of smaller countries in the region, who may perceive their contribution as more beneficial for society and this could be one of the reasons for their change in attitude or behaviour.

This study suggests important implications for both theory and application in the field of behavioural research. From a theoretical point of view, although several previous investigations have proposed different models seeking to understand pro-environmental behaviour (Soutter & Boag, 2019; Vanegas-Rico et al, 2018; Berger Silva & Andaur Rodríguez, 2022), empirical research with a generational and cross-cultural focus is still rather limited. This study provides the literature with an innovative and reliable behaviour prediction model, making it possible to analyse Generation Z behaviours from the perspective of individuals of different nationalities.

In response to the questions posed in the introduction, i.e. (RQ1) Does TPB explain Generation Z’s individual pro-environmental behaviour?, and (RQ2) Does culture influence Generation Z's pro-environmental behaviour?, we conclude that when it comes to environmental issues there are additional relevant predecessors to the TPB that contribute to the understanding of human behaviour. It is corroborated that environmental disengagement, intrinsic motivations, and environmental participation play a fundamental role in the behaviour of individuals and that the cultural and generational factor affects this behaviour trend.

Starting from the growing concern about the alterations produced by climate change, which continues to create economic, social, physical, and health impacts that require mitigation and adaptation (Stewart, 2021), this study, through the presentation and empirical analysis of a theoretical model, analysed the individual pro-environmental behaviours of the generational cohort belonging to Generation Z and confirmed that there are significant positive relationships between the constructs proposed in the model. This supports all the hypotheses and affirms that motivations, disengagement, and previous participation play a fundamental role in the adoption of an attitude and, subsequently, a behaviour. In addition, it was confirmed that there are significant differences in certain variables of the model based on nationality, both for Colombian and Brazilian individuals, as well as for Mexicans and Brazilians. This difference may be due to the fact that when it comes to environmental issues, societies can be more rigid or flexible in terms of their policies.

From a business point of view, the results obtained in this study help to guide the representatives or leaders of organisations in the mitigation of climate change from a behaviour prediction approach. It is important that leaders or managers focus their efforts first on beliefs, which are prior knowledge that guide people in adopting an attitude (Goh & Baum, 2021). Although belief is described as knowledge, it is important that the way in which information is conveyed to individuals is drastically changed. Currently, there are a number of campaigns that seek to generate environmental awareness or concern. However, instead of disseminating the desired knowledge, what they actually generate is detachment and lack of commitment. This is because society has changed and no longer attracted to commercials or campaigns in traditional media that are perceived as dull. There is a need to focus on new technologies and publicise information, videos, images, etc., in a fun way and across media that are widely used by Generation Z. This will enable individuals to perceive this information appropriately and subsequently adopt a favourable attitude towards the environment.

Second, they must carry out actions that generate feelings of attachment, since this emotion will respond to stimuli that are directed towards specific, differentiated, and short-term pro-environmental objectives (van Kleef & Côté, 2022). In this sense, it has been proven that environmental disengagement can have a negative effect on the adoption of an attitude and this could be the key to changing the unproductive results that have been obtained so far in this field of research. Generation Z individuals are relatively young members of society that are currently studying at university or navigating the job market. Therefore, the actions implemented by the universities or from the companies are currently oriented towards an aspect of the work or studies. However, in the case of universities, the aim is not to include environmental actions within the content of an academic subject, but rather propose it as a recreational activity that generates attachment and a sense of belonging. Likewise, companies should separate environmental actions from work activities and implement mechanisms that allow individuals to interact in initiatives against climate change, but without perceiving them as part of their job.

Third, special attention should be paid to intrinsic motivations; when people have an internal stimulus, the experience of goal achievement is transferred to goal pursuit (Fishbach & Woolley, 2022). Leaders or managers of the various organisations are currently focusing their efforts on motivating Generation Z individuals to participate in the fight against climate change through economic or academic incentives, generating external and momentary motivation that does not last over time. Therefore, it is necessary to implement actions that generate pleasure, for example, promote environmental activities within organisations that allow them to compete with each other and gradually obtain individual and collective recognition for their interactions and specific initiatives, such as the EIT Climate-KIC Climathon (EIT, 2023).

Lastly, previous participation in environmental activities has been found to influence pro-environmental behaviours. Therefore, attention should be paid not so much to the dimension of participation, but rather to repetition. The way in which environmental content is presented must be analysed in detail, seeking a balance so as not to become wearisome but to reinforce it so that the individual always keeps it in mind and can constantly contribute.

In conclusion, our findings help behavioural research not only to meet social requirements related to environmental protection (Bordian et al., 2022), but also to provide management guidance to improve predictions of pro-environmental behaviours in members belonging to Generation Z.

This research is subject to a series of limitations that must be considered to evaluate the results and the conclusions derived from them, which are established as opportunities for future research. Firstly, the research is based on the TPB, which has received criticism and questioning in recent years due to the fact that various studies concluded that its components are insufficient to accurately predict behaviour (Sniehotta et al., 2014). For this reason, the introduction of new factors is proposed, such as intrinsic and extrinsic motivations, in order to improve the explanatory and predictive capacity of the model in future research. Second, with regard to the sample, although the size is large enough for statistical analysis, the existence of differences could be explored with a larger number of participants. Third, it is necessary to consider countries located in other geographical areas in order to analyse whether the cultural aspect can influence the results seen from a broader context. Fourth, differences between generations could be evaluated and contrasted if the proposed model can be validated in another generational cohort, or comparisons could be made between groups, such as Millennials vs. Centennials. Fifth, other constructs that can influence pro-environmental behaviour could be added to the model, such as the attribution of responsibility, self-esteem, or satisfaction. Finally, the model can be applied in other contexts, such as the industrial or business sector, in order to determine if the study variables have a similar impact in other areas.