Having a green identity: does pro-environmental self-identity mediate the effects of moral identity on ethical consumption and pro-environmental behaviour? ( Tener una identidad verde: ¿la identidad propia respetuosa con el medioambiente sirve de mediadora para los efectos de la identidad moral sobre el consumo ético y la conducta respetuosa con el medio ambiente? )

Abstract

The current study examined the effects of the two types of moral identity (i.e., internalization and symbolization) on ethical consumption behaviours and pro-environmental behaviours. The study also investigated the mediating role of pro-environmental self-identity in moral identity-outcomes relationships. A three-wave time-lagged field survey was used to collect data (N = 229) from customers in the capital city of Pakistan. The findings revealed that both internalization and symbolization were positively related to pro-environment behaviours. Pro-environmental self-identity fully mediated the relationship between internalization and ethical consumption behaviours and partially mediated the relationship between internalization and pro-environmental behaviours. Furthermore, pro-environmental self-identity did not mediate the relationship between symbolization and both outcomes. Finally, the study provides important implications for marketers and environmentalists. We recommend that special interventions should be made at institutional levels to develop moral and pro-environmental identities among individuals.