Social change can be pursued by participating in a public protest, joining a community gardening initiative, or recycling at home. However, little research has investigated how individual differences in values relate to people’s engagement in different types of social change actions in the context of pro-environmental behavior. We hypothesized that values would be differentially related to different types of social change actions, based on different goals that each of these actions may have (e.g., changing one’s own behavior or influencing others). A survey among people engaged in pro-environmental activism during the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference supported our predictions. Specifically, we found that individual behavior and community-based actions were uniquely related to biospheric values (i.e., a key concern for nature and the environment). However, other social change actions (e.g., public protest) were uniquely related to altruistic values (i.e., a key concern for the welfare of all people), and pro-environmental lobbying was positively related to egoistic values (i.e., a key concern for power and achievement). Our findings suggest that different behaviors directed at pro-environmental social change may be based on different values. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of these findings.

Residential electricity demand response programs can play a substantial role in facilitating a sustainable energy transition, but it is important to examine the consumer behaviors necessary to harness this potential. We outline three behavioral dimensions relevant for effective demand response, namely investment, participation, and actual response. We discuss the factors that underpin them as well as possible behavioral interventions to promote demand response behaviors.

Community environmental initiatives are set up by community members to promote pro-environmental behaviours in their community. Community members involved in these initiatives are likely to behave more pro-environmentally. Yet, the question remains how to get community members involved. Previous findings suggest stronger environmental and communal, but not financial, motives promote people’s involvement in community environmental initiatives. The present paper examines whether appeals to such environmental or communal motives can promote involvement more than appeals to financial motives or no appeals. Three experimental studies revealed that environmental and communal appeals did not promote initiative involvement more than financial appeals or no appeals. Moreover, a combined environmental and communal appeal was not more effective than single appeals. Furthermore, in a field study examining 167 existing community energy initiatives, we found no relationship between the emphasis in flyers on financial, environmental, and communal benefits of initiative involvement and the proportion of community members involved in these initiatives. These findings suggest appeals may not be enough to promote initiative involvement. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of these findings.