Principles of environmental justice and pro-environmental action: A two-step process model of moral anger and responsibility to act

Beliefs about environmental justice are an important aspect in the willingness to continuously commit to pro-environmental behaviors and actions both on individual and societal levels. Since environmental policy is subject to decisions across various state institutions, the current article focuses on three principles of environmental justice beliefs, and tests their independent contributions toward pro-environmental behavior. In a representative sample of German citizens, we tested the effects of intergenerational justice, ecological justice and global justice beliefs on pro-environmental intentions. In addition, we focused on two potential processes that might explain the relation between justice beliefs and pro-environmental behavior, namely, moral anger and perceived responsibility. In line with expectations, stronger environmental justice beliefs predicted pro-environmental intentions. Path analyses further revealed that sense of responsibility and moral anger mediated the effects, with the former being a stronger predictor of pro-environmental intentions than the latter. These findings are discussed in light of current societal debate and policy recommendations are exemplified.