Katarina Polajnar Horvat

Abstract

This article analyzes the impact of selected external and internal factors on environmental behaviour and the relationship between individuals’ willingness to engage in environmentally friendly activity and their actual actions. Our model served as a framework for understanding the development of environmental awareness andthe change of habits in favor of sustainability. The main variables included in the model were values, beliefs, norms, perceived environmental control, demographic variables, knowledge, intention, and behaviour. The results based on the example of Ljubljana indicate that environmental motives and knowledge are the factors predominantly influencing actual environmentally friendly habits. It is concluded that a bottom-up approach with selected social influence methods is the most appropriate.

Keywords: environmental awareness, behavioural geography, behavioural factors, drinking water, sustainable development, Ljubljana

Katarina Polajnar Horvat [katarina.polajnar@zrc-sazu.si], Anton Melik Geographical Institute Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts Novi trg 2, 1000 Ljubljana: Slovenia
Aleš Smrekar [ales.smrekar@zrc-sazu.si], Anton Melik Geographical Institute Scientifi c Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts Gosposka ulica 13, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia