Turning a blind eye to climate change: Moral disengagement and negative climate emotions as drivers of the green gap

The primary aim of the current study was to investigate whether moral disengagement and associated negative emotions (guilt, shame and anxiety) could explain the green gap, i.e. the disparity between environmental values or climate concerns and pro-environmental behavior. The secondary aim was to test potential interventions that could reduce the tendency to morally disengage from climate change and, consequently, enhance pro-environmental behavior. First, in a large cross-sectional study (N1 = 1233), we investigated moral disengagement and negative climate emotions as serial mediators in the relationship between climate concerns and pro-environmental behavior (Study 1). Then, we replicated these findings in a two-wave longitudinal study (N2 = 1308) and attempted to reduce moral disengagement with either an awareness-empowerment or social norms intervention (Study 2). The results corroborated our mediation model where climate concerns predicted pro-environmental behavior and this was partially mediated by lower moral disengagement and higher experienced negative emotions. Also, we found awareness-empowerment intervention to be effective in reducing moral disengagement and, indirectly, motivating pro-environmental behavior. The study thus provides persuasive evidence that moral disengagement contributes to the green gap and that interventions aimed at its reduction might constitute a fruitful way of motivating effortful but impactful pro-environmental behavior.