Attitudes and Environmental Behaviours: A Comparison Between Millennials and Generation Z Background Data.

Elisa Cisotto, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore
Andrea Bonanomi , Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore
Francesca Luppi, Università Cattolica
Alessandro Rosina, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore

Addressing contemporary environmental challenges increasingly requires understanding the behavioural mechanisms underpinning sustainable action. This study investigates pro-environmental engagement among young Italians by comparing Millennials (27–34) and Generation Z (21–26) using nationally representative data from the 2023 Rapporto Giovani survey (N = 2,001). Drawing on the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), the analysis examines the role of attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control, while integrating environmental knowledge as a cognitive antecedent and socio-economic background as a structural constraint. Three outcomes are considered: responsible consumption, participation in environmental associations, and intention to join environmental movements. Responsible consumption is modelled using a factor-analytic scale and estimated through OLS regression; participation and intention are assessed through logistic models. Results show that pro-environmental attitudes and perceived behavioural control are positively associated with responsible consumption, whereas subjective norms display weaker effects on collective engagement. Environmental knowledge supports everyday sustainable practices but does not significantly predict participation in environmental activism. Socio-economic resources, proxied by maternal tertiary education, are positively associated with collective involvement. Older respondents within the sample report higher responsible consumption but lower participation and intention, suggesting a potential shift from activism to individual-level practices. A mediation model will further assess indirect pathways linking knowledge and socio-economic resources to behaviour through TPB components. Findings contribute to clarifying how cognitive and structural factors drive environmental engagement across young adult cohorts, informing communication strategies and policy interventions.

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 Presented in Session P7. Education, Labor Market, and Economic Issues