Abstract

The pervasive impact of unsustainable activities has been a matter of global concern in the present times. Efforts have been directed towards creating an awareness towards climate change in order to promote sustainable living. However, it has been reported that the climate change anxiety alone does not ensure that people would engage in pro-environmental behaviours. In light of the positive influence of the environmental identity on people’s involvement in sustainable activities, we test its mediating role in predicting the relationship between climate change anxiety and ethically minded consumer behaviour and pro-environmental behaviour. A survey conducted online involving 304 Indians mainly in the age-group of 18-35 years informs the findings. The results show that people’s environmental identity mediates the relationship between climate change anxiety and ethically minded consumer behaviour ab= .09, SE= .03, p<.01 (95% CI, 0.04 to 0.14) as well as pro-environmental behaviour ab= 0.11, SE= 0.03, p<.01 (95% CI, 0.04 to 0.18). Environmental identity accounts for 29.42% of the total effect of climate change anxiety on ethical minded consumer behaviour and 31.56% of the total effect on the pro-environmental behaviour. The paper also discusses the indigenous traditional practices in India to preserve the innate relationship between man and nature. Implications: The findings provide key valuable insights for climate-change related awareness indicating that environmental identity is a key element for one’s climate change anxiety to significantly impact pro-environmental and ethically minded consumer behaviour. The findings of the study also have significant implications for climate related policy makers in the Indian context and environmentally conscious businesses.