The Ecological Footprint of Greek Citizens: Main Drivers of Consumption and Influencing Factors

Alexandros Amprazis (), Nikolaos Galanis, Georgios Malandrakis, Georgios Panaras, Penelope Papadopoulou and Alessandro Galli
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Alexandros Amprazis: Department of Early Childhood Education, University of Western Macedonia, 53100 Florina, Greece
Nikolaos Galanis: Department of Primary Education, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Georgios Malandrakis: Department of Primary Education, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Georgios Panaras: Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Western Macedonia, 50100 Kozani, Greece
Penelope Papadopoulou: Department of Early Childhood Education, University of Western Macedonia, 53100 Florina, Greece
Alessandro Galli: Global Footprint Network, Avenue Louis-Casaï, 18, 1209 Geneva, Switzerland

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 2, 1-13

Abstract: The Ecological Footprint (EF) is undoubtedly an important tool for calculating humans’ impact on the environment. For this tool to be even more accessible and understood by most of the people, many online ecological footprint calculators have been created, the most reliable of which was developed by Global Footprint Network (GFN). Aim of this study is to present the Greek population’s main drivers of consumption patterns after customizing the GFN’s international online calculator to the Greek statistics and national accounts. Moreover, the goal of this study is to assess the factors influencing the Ecological Footprint of Greek citizens. The development of a Greek-specific calculator was based on long-lasting research that included gathering and analyzing information about the Greek population. Five hundred seventy-four Greeks used the calculator after its adaptation, and data were collected regarding their total ecological footprint and its differentiation by land type and by consumption category. According to the results, Greece has a low mean of ecological footprint in comparison to other European countries, but there is still a lot of ground to cover for achieving a truly acceptable sustainable way of living. Additionally, only the variable of gender seems to affect the ecological footprint of Greeks, with females having significantly lower personal EF (M = 3.37) than males (M = 4.36, p = 0.011). The adapted online calculator and the produced results regarding the EF of Greek citizens are considered as a valuable tool for policy makers, stakeholders, and educational institutions.

Keywords: country specific EF; drivers of EF; sustainable living; education for sustainable development (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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