The Weak Engagement Paradox: Public Support and Pro-Environmental Behavior in Bulgaria

Boris Popivanov () and Dimitar Ganev
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Boris Popivanov: Department of Political Science, Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria
Dimitar Ganev: Department of Political Science, Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria

Societies, 2025, vol. 15, issue 11, 1-19

Abstract: This article analyzes the determinants of public support for environmental policies in Bulgaria—a post-socialist context marked by low salience of ecological issues, socio-economic pressures, and fragile institutional trust. Based on descriptive statistical analysis of a nationally representative face-to-face survey conducted in 2023 ( N = 1002), it explores environmental awareness, motivations, and readiness for pro-environmental behavior (PEB). The findings reveal a distinctive pattern—a weak engagement paradox —where low awareness nonetheless coexists with high declared willingness to act. This readiness is mainly shaped by financial motives, local contexts, and generational differences, while trust remains concentrated in scientific expertise rather than political institutions. The study argues that declarative support, even when influenced by social desirability, can serve as a policy resource. Low-cost behavioral interventions, such as nudging, could leverage this latent willingness by making sustainable choices more visible and socially rewarding, gradually strengthening trust and engagement.

Keywords: awareness-action gap; behavioral change; Central and Eastern Europe; social desirability bias; environmental attitudes; institutional trust; behavioral interventions; nudging (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A13 A14 P P0 P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 Z1 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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