The impact of Gen Z's pro-environmental behavior on sustainable development goals through tree planting

Abstract

This interdisciplinary study addresses a critical gap in environmental behavior research by focusing on Gen Z's engagement with tree planting, a key yet underexplored activity in the context of achieving sustainable development goals. Motivated by the need to understand how cultural practices and environmental policies influence young people's participation in sustainability efforts, this research examines how integrating psychological theories with sociocultural dynamics can enhance our understanding of proactive environmental engagement. Leveraging frameworks from psychology, sociology, environmental science, and cultural studies, this research integrates the Value-Belief-Norm theory and the Theory of Planned Behavior to analyze how Gen Z's values, environmental beliefs, and perceived behavioral control influence their intentions and actions toward tree planting. The methodology involves a two-phase empirical investigation: initially developing and validating measurement items with 141 Gen Z participants, followed by a second phase with 203 participants to validate the proposed model using partial least squares structural equation modeling. The findings highlight that the environmental value of Gen Z significantly shapes its attitudes and behavioral intentions toward tree planting. Additionally, this study reveals the crucial role of personal norms and perceived behavioral control in steering individuals’ pro-environmental behaviors. The Vishu Thaineetham initiative, which has a global footprint and has transformed a cultural tradition into a sustainable tree-planting movement, is a case study for innovative ecological preservation. This initiative demonstrates the potential of culturally adapted practices to foster collective environmental engagement and promote cleaner production strategies. The implications for theory and practice, emphasizing insights into environmental behavior models, are also provided.