Environmental Perceptions and Sustainable Consumption Behavior: The Disparity among South Africans

Frederich Kirsten and Mduduzi Eligius Biyase ()
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Frederich Kirsten: School of Economics, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg 2092, South Africa
Mduduzi Eligius Biyase: School of Economics, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg 2092, South Africa

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 6, 1-13

Abstract: The aim of this study is to assess the impact of sociodemographic factors on the environmental perceptions and sustainable consumption behavior in South Africa, a country with the highest record of inequality in the world. Few studies have examined the ways in which people in low-income countries perceive social and environmental problems. By using the International Social Survey Programme Environment III dataset for 2010, this study assessed the impact of sociodemographic factors on the environmental perceptions and sustainable consumption behavior of South Africans. The results show that environmental concern rates are highest among those with low socioeconomic status and African people. Since these individuals constitute the majority of the most vulnerable population in society, it supports the exposure to degradation hypothesis in a South African context. In contrast, sustainable consumption behavior rate is highest among those with high socioeconomic status, suggesting a strong post-materialist effect on pro-environmental consumption. From a policy perspective, environmental policymakers in South Africa could take note of the strong environmental concerns among those more vulnerable to daily environmental degradation and provide further incentives and support their transition to sustainable consumption behavior changes that would assist in environmental protection.

Keywords: environmental behaviour; green consumption; inequality; South Africa (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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