Eco-Anxiety, Not Hope, Links Environmental Identity to Green Action in India

A survey of 395 adults across India has found that people who see the environment as part of their identity are more likely to act sustainably, and that eco-anxiety — worry about climate change and ecological loss — partially explains that connection. Eco-hope, by contrast, did not independently carry the link between identity and behavior, nor did it strengthen the anxiety-driven pathway, according to the cross-sectional study published in Frontiers in Conservation Science. The research, conducted by Sreejani Sarkar and Sherin P Antony of Christ University, Bangalore, set out to examine how psychological determinants shape pro-environmental behavior in a non-Western context.

The authors note that while environmental identity is increasingly recognized as a predictor of environmentally responsible actions, the role and interaction of eco-emotions in that relationship remain insufficiently examined, particularly in countries such as India. Participants were Indian residents aged 18 to 60 who were fluent in English and reported no diagnosed mental illnesses. The study used four established instruments: the Environmental Identity Scale developed by Clayton, the Hogg Eco-Anxiety Scale, the Climate Change Hope Scale by Li and Monroe, and the Pro-Environmental Behaviour Scale by Markle.

Analyses were conducted with regression, mediation, and moderated mediation models using the SPSS PROCESS macro. The results showed that environmental identity significantly predicted pro-environmental behavior. Eco-anxiety partially mediated this association, meaning that part of the reason environmentally identified people act sustainably runs through their feelings of concern about ecological degradation.

Eco-hope told a different story. The researchers found that hope did not independently mediate the relationship between identity and behavior, and it also failed to moderate the indirect effect of identity through eco-anxiety. In other words, hopeful outlooks neither served as their own bridge from self-concept to action nor changed the strength of the anxiety-based pathway in this sample.

The authors interpret these findings as suggesting that interventions designed to promote environmental identity should simultaneously cultivate constructive concern and realistic hope in order to optimize engagement in sustainable behaviors. The work contributes to understanding identity–emotion–behavior dynamics in environmental psychology and underscores the value of culturally contextualized strategies for fostering climate action. Several limitations follow from the study design.

The data were cross-sectional, so the analyses describe associations and statistical pathways rather than demonstrating causal effects over time. The final formatted version of the article is scheduled for publication, and the reported results are those described in the abstract released by the journal. For researchers and practitioners, the study adds a nuanced picture: a strong environmental identity appears to matter for sustainable behavior, and emotional responses to the climate crisis are part of that picture — with anxious concern playing a measurable role, and hope, at least in this dataset, playing a less direct one.

Subject of Research: The mediating roles of eco-anxiety and eco-hope in the relationship between environmental identity and pro-environmental behavior among adults in India

Article Title: Eco-anxiety and eco-hope shaping the relationship between environmental identity and pro-environmental behavior: from self to action

Article References: Sarkar, S., & Antony, S. P. (2026). Eco-Anxiety and Eco-Hope Shaping the Relationship between Environmental Identity and Pro-Environmental Behaviour: From Self to Action. Frontiers in Conservation Science, 7, 1977380. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcosc.2026.1977380

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.3389/fcosc.2026.1977380

Keywords: eco-anxiety, eco-hope, environmental identity, pro-environmental behavior, climate psychology, India, mediation analysis, cross-sectional survey, sustainable behavior, eco-emotions, shaping, relationship