From Inequality to Action: The Role of Shared Identity in Shaping Pro-Environmental Behavior in Africa

Climate change and inequality are central development challenges, particularly in Africa where institutional trust and social cohesion vary widely. While objective inequality has been linked to environmental outcomes, limited evidence exists on how perceived inequality influences climate action and pro-environmental behavior in developing country contexts. This study combines cross-national survey data and original field evidence to examine how perceived inequality and shared identity shape environmental engagement. Study 1 uses Afrobarometer Round 7 data (approximately 17,000 respondents) from 10 SADC countries and estimates multilevel mixed-effects models with REML to account for individuals nested within countries. Perceived inequality is proxied by relative living condition assessments, while climate action perceptions capture citizens' beliefs about the need for and feasibility of climate mitigation. Study 2 draws on primary survey data (N ≈ 150) collected in Hlokozi, KwaZulu-Natal, and applies OLS regression to assess the relationship between perceived inequality, community identity, and reported pro-environmental behaviour. Results show that perceived inequality is negatively and significantly associated with climate action perceptions across African countries. Individuals who perceive higher inequality are less likely to believe in collective climate engagement. Contrary to findings from China and other contexts, national identity does not mitigate this relationship. In fact, national identity is negatively associated with climate action, suggesting that in some African settings it may reflect politicized or elite-driven affiliation rather than inclusive social cohesion. Evidence from Hlokozi indicates that community identity plays a distinct role: strong local identification increases pro-environmental behaviour and partially offsets the negative effect of perceived inequality. These findings demonstrate that identity mechanisms may operate differently in developing contexts and that localized forms of belonging may be more effective in sustaining environmental cooperation under high inequality settings. Climate policy in developing African economies should incorporate social cohesion dynamics. National level appeals alone may be insufficient in highly unequal contexts. Strengthening community-based climate initiatives, local governance participation, and grassroots environmental programs may enhance collective action. Addressing inequality while fostering local solidarity can improve environmental engagement and strengthen adaptive capacity in vulnerable communities.