What are Generation Z willing to do to reduce their consumption for environmental reasons?

Generation Z exhibits specific consumer behaviours shaped by their digital upbringing, social values, economic experiences and climate change. As the newest and largest living generation, comprising 32% of the global population (Miller and Lu, 2018), Generation Z has significant influence in the marketplace today and in the future. They already shape trends in the goods and services markets. Their consumption patterns are characterised by a strong reliance on digital platforms, a preference for social responsibility and a desire for authenticity and unique experiences (Liu et al., 2023). Given their unique characteristics, it is worth exploring the problem of their willingness to voluntarily reduce consumption for environmental reasons.

Consumption reduction is considered a voluntary process carried out by individuals to benefit the environment, including the acquisition, use and disposal phases of consumption (García-de-Frutos et al., 2018). In this study, “environmental reasons” are understood as motivations grounded specifically in concerns about environmental impacts, such as climate change, resource depletion and pollution. This construct is treated as part of broader notions of socially responsible or ethical consumption, which may also include social or economic considerations. Socially responsible consumption refers to consumption choices that take into account their greater impact on society and the environment, including ethical, environmental and social dimensions (Lee and Lee, 2025). By focusing specifically on environmental motivations, the study aims to capture relevant behaviourally related drivers of consumption reduction linked directly to environmental sustainability. The call for a reduction in consumption has already appeared in previous research (Demaria et al., 2013), with the main rationale being to achieve a state of environmental stability, i.e. to avoid further exacerbating the climate crisis (Van den Bergh, 2019). Accordingly, the reduction in consumption in the current study is understood as a decrease in the purchase of new products that are altered by pre-owned products or shared with others. Voluntary consumption reduction is a field of study that has attracted more attention recently (Ghorban Nejad et al., 2024), however regarding products which consumers are willing to limit, until now research has focused mainly on selected products and services, such as meat (Nezlek and Forestell, 2020; Borusiak et al., 2022), water consumed in households (Lowe et al., 2015), electricity (Carrus et al., 2021) and flying by plane (Büchs, 2017). In the current study, we intended to consider a broader spectrum of possible actions, i.e. restrictions concerning (1) reduction in food buying and food waste, (2) housing – co-housing, reduction of new furniture purchase and use of utilities, extension of equipment lifespan, (3) mobility – regarding the ownership and use of transport, as well as restrictions in travel, (4) reduction in buying new clothes. The findings of this study contribute to the existing literature by analysing the reduction in consumption for environmental reasons in several categories of products and services identified as the most significant from an environmental perspective. They offer insight into the types of consumption that Generation Z is willing to reduce for pro-environmental reasons, thus supporting a broader intention to decrease overall consumption.

The nature of our study is exploratory-confirmatory as it investigates a relatively new, insufficiently understood and inherently complex phenomenon. Voluntary consumption reduction constitutes an atypical form of consumer behaviour. One that diverges from the prevailing trend of increasing consumption fuelled by seemingly limitless desires. This deviation from normative consumer behaviour, coupled with the limited scholarly attention to its underlying motivations and mechanisms, renders an exploratory-confirmatory approach both appropriate and necessary for generating initial insights and establishing a foundation for future research. Guided by this rationale, we formulated research questions targeting specific product categories: food (including food waste), co-housing, new furniture, utilities (such as water, electricity and heating), home appliances (with an emphasis on lifespan extension), transport modes, travel and new clothing. The purpose of the present study was to explore how the willingness to reduce consumption in these specific categories predicts a broader intention to reduce consumption overall. By integrating multiple high-impact consumption domains within a single framework and explicitly linking domain-specific reduction intentions to an overarching intention to reduce consumption, this study extends existing anticonsumption research by offering a cross-domain and generation-specific perspective on environmentally motivated consumption reduction.

The remainder of the paper is organised into five sections. The literature review begins with an overview of the environmental impact of consumption, focusing primarily on the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with the four aforementioned product categories. This is followed by a discussion of voluntary consumption reduction as a form of socially responsible consumption. Next, the article presents an overview of existing research on the attitudes, intentions and behaviours of Generation Z in relation to socially responsible consumption. The next section outlines the research questions and the proposed research model. This is followed by a description of the methodology, presentation of the results and discussion of the findings, including their implications, limitations and conclusions of the study.

Consumption practices not only exhaust natural resources by using material inputs but also generate environmental impacts throughout the entire life cycle of a product or service, from extraction and processing to manufacturing, consumption and waste disposal. The environmental impact of consumption generated by households is manifold (Castellani et al., 2019). Firstly, the production and distribution of goods require the acquisition and processing of resources, which contributes to deforestation, soil erosion and loss of biodiversity. Secondly, the production, transportation and disposal of goods contribute to freshwater eutrophication, soil degradation and greenhouse gas emissions, driving climate change. Thirdly, excessive consumption results in increased waste and pollution, affecting air, water and soil quality.

Consumption is responsible for more than 60% of global greenhouse gas emissions and between 50% and 80% of total consumption of land, materials and water (Ivanova et al., 2016). Food, housing and mobility are the most important consumption categories in terms of environmental impact (Hertwich, 2011). Food is responsible for 48% and 70% of household impacts on land and water resources globally (Ivanova et al., 2016), according to Ritchie et al. (2022), 78% of global ocean and freshwater pollution, primarily through fertiliser and pesticide runoff. The housing sector is another sector that significantly impacts the environment, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions, resource depletion and habitat loss (Ruiz-Valero et al., 2025). Residential buildings account for approximately 26% of global CO₂ emissions (Hertwich, 2011), primarily due to energy consumption for heating, cooling and electricity. Additionally, construction activities associated with housing can lead to a substantial loss of biodiversity. The mobility sector, which encompasses transportation systems and services, also contributes significantly to environmental degradation, particularly through GHG emissions. Globally, transportation accounts for approximately 20% of total carbon dioxide emissions (Hertwich, 2011), with road transport being the main contributor. Reliance on fossil fuels for vehicles leads to substantial CO₂ emissions, exacerbating climate change. Furthermore, the expansion of the sector has resulted in increased air pollution, noise and habitat fragmentation, which adversely affect ecosystems and human health. The fashion industry, which includes the production of all clothing worn by people, represented approximately 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions in 2018 and is estimated that in 2050 it will represent 26% of the carbon budget (Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2017). This impact is driven by its extensive supply chains and energy-intensive manufacturing processes. Furthermore, the fashion industry consumes more energy than the combined aviation and shipping sectors (United Nations Climate Change, 2018). According to European Environment Agency (2024), in 2020, textile consumption in the EU ranked third among all consumption categories in terms of its impact on water and land use, while it placed fifth in raw material consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Approximately 4%–9% of all textile products introduced to the European market are discarded without ever being used for their intended purpose. The detailed data on the emission of GHG from the four groups of goods mentioned above are presented in Table 1.

Consumption reduction involves deliberately decreasing the acquisition and use of goods (especially new ones) and services (requiring material input) (Oslo Symposium, 1994). This approach addresses the root causes of environmental degradation and resource depletion, promoting a balance between human needs and the planet’s capacity to sustain them (Lorek and Fuchs, 2013). This implies that consumers within a defined geographic region (e.g. a specific country) do not use natural resources at a rate that exceeds the regeneration capacity of the area, nor do they generate waste and emissions beyond what the environment can naturally absorb. As a result, reduced consumption operates within established environmental limits that are decreasing, thereby respecting environmental thresholds (Fischer et al., 2023). Therefore, reducing consumption contributes not only to resource conservation and reduction of pollution, but also to mitigation of climate change because, by consuming less, individuals and societies can significantly reduce their carbon footprints. Additionally, reduced consumption can also improve people’s well-being, as shifting focus from material possessions to experiences and relationships can improve mental health and life satisfaction (Spengler, 2016). Individual consumption reduction includes several types of behaviour. Based on the literature review, five types were distinguished (Ghorban Nejad et al., 2024): (1) minimising consumption by adopting environmentally friendly practices while maintaining low overall consumption levels to support environmental sustainability (consumption modification), (2) reducing the use of new products and resources by embracing sharing, leasing, reusing, repairing and refurbishing to prolong product lifespan, thereby leading to long-term reductions in consumption and benefiting the environment (circular consumption), (3) limiting consumption to essential needs to promote environmental sustainability (strict consumption reduction), (4) adopting a simpler lifestyle and mindset to support environmental sustainability (life-style-based consumption reduction) and (5) minimising consumption by avoiding waste generation at the source before it occurs (preventive consumption reduction).

Generation Z (people born between 1995 and 2010) is widely recognised as a generation highly concerned about the environment (Borah et al., 2024; Djafarova and Foots, 2022), in many cases more than older generations (Grzesiuk et al., 2023), especially regarding their declared attitude towards environmental issues and behavioural intentions. Several studies (Milfont, 2012; Poortinga et al., 2019) indicate that younger people tend to exhibit greater environmental concern compared to older age groups. The underlying reason for this increase in young people’s concern seems obvious. They are more likely to experience the long-term impacts of climate change than older generations and are highly exposed to environmental topics through social media. Research by Franzen and Meyer (2010) further supports this notion, demonstrating a negative correlation between age and environmental concern, with younger individuals reporting higher levels of anxiety about environmental issues. Research conducted on representative samples of respondents in the UK (Poortinga et al., 2023) reveals a consistent trend of stronger beliefs related to climate, greater perception of risk and more intense emotional responses among younger generations.

In addition, a pro-environmental attitude has been demonstrated to predict pro-environmental intentions among members of Generation Z. A study focusing on Indonesian youth (Wijaya and Kokchang, 2023) found that environmental awareness and concern positively influence their attitudes towards energy transition initiatives. Despite strong environmental concerns and intentions, there is clear evidence of an intention–behaviour gap among Generation Z (Lejárraga-García et al., 2024). For example, research indicates that although Generation Z consumers express a desire to purchase socially responsible products, factors such as price sensitivity and social influence can hinder actual purchasing behaviour (D’Acunto et al., 2025).

However, a study involving Generation Z from six European countries (Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Spain) found that the intention to protect the environment, which is closely related to environmental concerns, is positively associated with the voluntary intention to reduce consumption, both directly and indirectly. The indirect relationship was mediated by a willingness to accept economic sacrifices (Borusiak et al., 2024). However, it is important to note that in the study mentioned, consumption reduction was defined as a decrease in the purchase of new goods. This does not imply unmet needs; instead, these needs can be met through access to shared products. Previous research has shown that the practice of sharing goods can be motivated both by a desire to save money and by environmental concern (Surmacz et al., 2024). This study contributes to the literature not only by examining multiple categories of consumption, but by adopting an integrative, cross-domain perspective.

The concept of the current study can be further contextualised within the broader international literature on environmentally responsible consumption among Generation Z. The prominence of clothing consumption as the strongest predictor of overall consumption reduction is consistent with studies conducted in western Europe and other developed regions, where increasing awareness of the environmental consequences of fast fashion has led to a growing interest in second-hand clothing and a reduced purchasing frequency (Johnstone and Lindh, 2022; Masserini et al., 2024). Similarly, the importance of food consumption and food waste reduction aligns with international evidence identifying food systems as a critical domain for pro-environmental behavioural change (Schäufele-Elbers and Janssen, 2023; O’Neill et al., 2023).

The role of mobility-related behaviours also reflects global patterns, as transport and travel are widely recognised as the main contributors to individual carbon footprints. Previous research from countries such as the UK and Germany indicates a growing willingness among younger consumers to modify mobility habits, including reduced car use and air travel (Büchs, 2017; Konietzka and Neugebauer, 2023). Behaviour selectivity has been documented in cross-country research and reflects the influence of economic constraints, lifestyle habits and social norms (D’Acunto et al., 2025; Lejárraga-García et al., 2024). Although pro-environmental attitudes appear widespread, their translation into behaviour varies significantly depending on situational and structural conditions. Recent studies indicate that pro-environmental motivations also significantly influence the adoption of resource-efficient practices in housing. For example, participation in sharing practices, such as co-housing or shared use of household goods, has been linked to expectations of reduced resource use and waste generation (Ribera Jemio et al., 2024). The extension of the life of household equipment constitutes another important dimension of sustainable housing consumption. Empirical evidence shows a general willingness to repair appliances rather than replace them, although actual decisions remain sensitive to economic incentives and knowledge levels (Delemere and Liston, 2024). The willingness of consumers to repair household appliances is an important component of the transition to a circular economy. Recent studies show that repair behaviour is shaped by both product-related and individual factors. In particular, repair design, such as modular construction and ease of disassembly, significantly increases the likelihood that consumers will choose repair over replacement. At the same time, perceived repairability, access to spare parts and availability of information strongly influence the decision-making process (Roskladka et al., 2025; Varpa et al., 2024).

Rather than analysing consumption behaviours in isolation, the study demonstrates how domain-specific reduction intentions jointly shape a broader, generalised intention to reduce consumption. This approach provides a more comprehensive understanding of environmental behaviour among Generation Z and highlights the interconnected nature of consumption decisions across key impact areas. This study contributes to the literature reduction has received increasing attention in recent years (e.g. Ghorban Nejad et al., 2024), existing research has largely focused on specific domains of consumption, such as food, energy or mobility, examined in isolation. This fragmented approach limits our understanding of how reduction efforts across different consumption areas relate to a broader intention to reduce overall consumption. Therefore, there is a clear research gap in the lack of integrative cross-domain analyses that capture the combined effect of domain-specific behaviours. Addressing this gap is particularly relevant in the context of Generation Z, whose consumption patterns are shaped by strong environmental awareness and complex behavioural drivers.

Assuming that voluntary reduction of goods and services purchases can be regarded as a manifestation of socially responsible consumption, the following main research question (RQ) was formulated:

Trying to answer the above RQ makes the current study exploratory. However, the search for answers regarding consumption reduction was limited to four groups of products and services: food (food purchases and waste reduction), housing (co-housing, reduction in new furniture purchase, reduction in utility consumption, extension of equipment life), mobility (transport and travel restriction) and fashion (reduction of new clothing purchase). These resulted in the formulation of eight RQs and the research model presented in Figure 1.

To measure what kind of consumption (by type of products and services) Generation Z is willing to reduce to support their intention to reduce consumption due to environmental reasons, nine latent variables (constructs) were proposed. While previous research has consistently shown that Generation Z expresses pro-environmental attitudes and a general willingness to engage in sustainable consumption, the present study does not aim to establish this relationship as novel. Instead, its contribution lies in providing a more fine-grained and integrative understanding of environmentally motivated consumption reduction. Specifically, the study examines multiple high-impact consumption domains simultaneously and identifies which types of consumption reduction are most strongly associated with a broader intention to reduce overall consumption. In line with the conceptualisation adopted in this study, all items referring to consumption reduction were explicitly framed in terms of environmental motivations (e.g. reducing negative environmental impact, limiting resource use or contributing to climate change mitigation). This approach ensures that the measured intentions relate specifically to environmentally driven consumption reduction, rather than to general cost-saving or lifestyle considerations. Given that behavioural intentions are latent constructs that cannot be directly observed, their measurement necessarily relies on self-reported data. In line with established approaches in consumer and behavioural research, intentions are treated as the most immediate antecedents of behaviour (Ajzen, 1991) and, therefore, constitute an appropriate proxy for examining potential behavioural change. Table 2 contains statements applied for the measurement of these variables.

The survey was conducted between September and November 2024 using the computer-assisted web interviewing method (CAWI) and convenience sampling. The final sample consisted of 599 respondents, including 329 participants from Poland and 270 from the Czech Republic collected by the non-probability sampling. The link to the questionnaire was distributed among students from Polish and Czech universities as a proxy of Generation Z consumers. The characteristics of the sample are presented in Table 3.

In the data analysis procedure, the reliability and validity of the scales adopted to measure the different constructs expressing the sub-activities leading to the dematerialisation of consumption were first assessed. For this purpose, a confirmation factor analysis was used (Table 4). Data from both samples were adopted for the analysis, conducted on a total sample of 599 respondents.

The factor loadings for individual statements within each variable are high − above 0.6, (except for three statements: M4 = 0.557, F4 = 0.542 and S1 = 0.582), indicating a strong correlation between the statements and their respective constructs. All p-values are marked as ***(p < 0.001), confirming the statistical significance of factor loadings. This implies that each observed variable significantly contributes to explaining the variability of its respective construct. Cronbach’s alpha values for individual constructs range from 0.643 (for construct S) to 0.884 (for construct T). Values above 0.7 are generally considered indicative of good reliability, suggesting that almost all constructs exhibit good internal consistency. The values of the AVE index are greater than or equal to 0.5 (in the case of two variables: F and S have a slightly lower value), which indicates acceptable convergent validity.

In summary, the results of the confirmatory factor analysis indicate that the scales applied demonstrate good validity and reliability. On the basis of these findings, a multivariate linear regression analysis was conducted as the next step. This approach was chosen because multiple independent variables were assumed to explain the dependent variable (RED). The regression equation is expressed as follows:

where:

• RED – the dependent variable (intention to reduce consumption);

• β₀ – the intercept (constant term);

• β_F, β_M, β_ME, β_MED, β_S, β_T, β_P, β_O – regression coefficients assigned to each independent variable;

• F, M, ME, MED, S, T, P, O – independent variables; and

• ε – the error term (random component).

Before conducting the regression analysis, the key assumptions of linear regression were examined. The residuals did not indicate substantial deviations from normality. Multicollinearity was assessed and did not pose a problem, as the independent variables represent conceptually distinct domains and no problematic intercorrelations were observed. Furthermore, the data were screened for influential outliers, and no observations that would significantly affect the model estimates were identified with established procedures (excluding nonsignificant predictors). The main results remained stable, particularly with regard to the key predictors identified in both subsamples, supporting the robustness of the conclusions.

To assess the statistical significance of the regression model as a whole, the ANOVA method was used for each subsample. Its results are included in Tables 5 and 6.

According to the results of ANOVA for the Czech subsample, the regression model explains a significant proportion of variance in the dependent variable, as indicated by the high F-statistic (F = 43.876) and a highly significant p-value (p < 0.001). Approximately 57.4% of the total variance (R² = 391.777 / 683.088 = 0.574) is explained by the predictors, which is a substantial amount for most behavioural studies.

In the next step, the regression analysis was applied; its results are presented separately for the two nationality groups (Tables 7 and 8).

The results of the regression analysis showed the statistical significance of three variables as determinants of the willingness to reduce consumption for environmental reasons. Restrictions on transport (b = 0.177, β = 0.185, t = 4.015, p < 0.001) indicate a small to moderate positive effect. A greater willingness to change transport behaviour (e.g. reduce car use) is significantly associated with the dependent variable. In the case of the reduction of food purchases and waste, there is a moderate positive relationship (b = 0.253, β = 0.209, t = 3.797, p < 0.001). The strongest positive relationship with the willingness to reduce consumption for environmental reasons is observed for the reduction of new clothing purchases (b = 0.497, β = 0.475, t = 7.070, p < 0.001). Changes in clothing consumption (for example, buying less new clothing) have the most significant impact.

The results of the regression analysis also proved the statistical significance of three variables as determinants of the willingness to reduce consumption for environmental reasons. Restrictions on travelling (b = 0.176, β = 0.162, t = 3.367, p < 0.001) have a small positive impact on the dependent variable. Efforts to reduce food waste and change food consumption patterns (b = 0.221, β = 0.191, t = 2.855, p = 0.005) are moderately positively associated with the dependent variable. Clothing consumption behaviours and behavioural intentions (b = 0.424, β = 0.396, t = 5.418, p < 0.001), such as buying less or buying second-hand, have the strongest positive relationship with the dependent variable, indicating that this is a key predictor.

Both models highlight the importance of specific behaviours, especially changes in clothing consumption and reductions in food waste, as significant determinants of environmentally motivated consumption reductions. While the models perform slightly differently between the two groups, the results consistently underscore the intentions of clothing consumption as the most impactful predictor in both nationalities. This relation is presented in Figure 2.

The results show that while multiple variables were examined, only a few of them were found to have a significant relationship with the intention to reduce overall consumption. From a theoretical perspective, this study contributes to the literature on socially responsible and anticonsumption behaviours by adopting a cross-domain approach to consumption reduction. While previous studies have predominantly examined individual domains of consumption in isolation, such as food, energy or mobility, the present research integrates multiple high-impact consumption areas within a single analytical framework. Furthermore, by linking domain-specific reduction intentions to a broader intention to reduce consumption, the findings offer a more comprehensive understanding of how pro-environmental intentions are structured among Generation Z. This approach extends existing research by demonstrating that consumption reduction may reflect not only domain-specific decisions but also a more generalised behavioural orientation.

Reduction in clothing consumption is the main predictor of the intention to reduce consumption (Šimek and Sadílek, 2024). Reducing the frequency of purchasing new clothes was the most significant predictor of the desire to reduce consumption in both subsamples (Johnstone and Lindh, 2022; Masserini et al., 2024). This finding implies that the respondents are especially aware of how fast fashion affects the environment and are open to changing their consumption patterns to more environmentally friendly consumer behaviour, including buying recycled or second-hand items (Šimek and Sadílek, 2024). This is in line with more general global trends, as concerns about waste, overproduction and worker exploitation have led to a rise in socially responsible fashion (Falke et al., 2022).

Food purchases and waste reduction are important predictors of the intention to reduce consumption (Habib et al., 2023). The aim of changing food consumption habits and minimising food waste was another significant predictor found for both Polish and Czech respondents. The statistically significant strong positive correlation indicates that the respondents are aware of how food production and waste affect the environment. This result confirms previous studies that show that food waste is a significant cause of environmental deterioration (Wrap, 2020; Wrap, 2023). Buying locally, cutting back on meat intake and restricting food purchases seem to be important tactics that respondents are likely to implement (Schäufele-Elbers and Janssen, 2023; O’Neill et al., 2023).

Transport and travel restrictions are the third group of important predictors because reducing transportation use proved a statistically significant correlation with the desire to reduce consumption in the sample of Polish respondents (Konietzka and Neugebauer, 2023). This implies that to reduce their influence on the environment, Generation Z in Poland is thinking about alternative mobility options such as riding a bike, taking public transportation or using a shared vehicle. However, travel restrictions related to air travel were found to be a statistically significant predictor in the Czech respondents’ sample (Šimek and Sadílek, 2024). These differences could be the result of different levels of accessibility to alternate modes of transportation or cultural and behavioural variances in travel between the two countries (Owen and Büchs, 2024; Rossmanek and Chen, 2023).

The main predictors of the two groups of Polish and Czech respondents were comparable and differed significantly. Travel restrictions had a statistically significant impact on the group of Polish respondents. The Czech respondents had a somewhat better explanatory power (R² = 0.574) than the Polish respondents (R² = 0.526), suggesting that the independent factors were more closely aligned with the intentions of the Czech group to reduce consumption. These variations mean that general environmental issues affect both populations, and particular actions are influenced by structural and cultural elements. For example, Poland’s greater infrastructure and geographic size may highlight transportation limits, in the Czech Republic, not using aeroplanes for travelling may be a more practical and culturally appropriate solution.

The findings presented above should be interpreted with caution in light of the well-documented intention–behaviour gap. While the present study identifies significant relationships between environmental intentions and the willingness to reduce consumption, the intention–behaviour gap remains an important limitation. Future research could address this issue by using longitudinal designs to track changes over time and incorporating behavioural data (e.g. actual purchasing patterns). In addition, including variables such as habits, economic constraints and social norms can help explain how intentions translate into behaviour. Although respondents declare a willingness to reduce consumption for environmental reasons, such intentions do not necessarily translate into actual behaviour. This discrepancy can be influenced by factors such as price sensitivity, convenience, habits or social norms. Therefore, identified relationships should be understood as indicative of behavioural tendencies rather than direct predictors of realised consumption patterns. The growing awareness of the environmental impact of fast fashion has led to increased interest in second-hand clothing and reduced purchasing frequency (Johnstone and Lindh, 2022; Masserini et al., 2024).

Previous research from countries such as the UK and Germany indicates a growing willingness among younger consumers to modify mobility habits, including reduced car use and air travel (Büchs, 2017; Konietzka and Neugebauer, 2023). The present findings are consistent with these trends, although the specific forms of mobility reduction differ between the Polish and Czech samples, suggesting the influence of national context, infrastructure and cultural factors.

The results highlight a pattern observed in international studies: Generation Z tends to prioritise consumption changes that are relatively easy to implement and associated with lower personal costs. This aligns with evidence from cross-country research indicating that, despite high levels of environmental concern, behavioural changes are often selective and shaped by economic and situational constraints (D’Acunto et al., 2025; Lejárraga-García et al., 2024).

Future research could address this limitation by employing longitudinal designs to track changes over time and by incorporating behavioural data (e.g. actual purchasing patterns). Additionally, including variables such as habits, economic constraints and social norms can help explain how intentions translate into behaviour.

By situating the findings within this broader international context, the study demonstrates that while Generation Z exhibits consistent pro-environmental intentions, the translation of these intentions into behaviour remains uneven and context dependent, especially in the EU. This underscores the importance of considering both universal and local drivers of environmentally motivated consumption reduction.

The findings of this study have practical implications for policymakers, public institutions and organisations seeking to promote environmentally responsible consumption among Generation Z. From a theoretical perspective, the findings contribute to the development of socially responsible consumption theory by demonstrating that consumption reduction intentions are not uniform across domains, but are instead shaped by perceived feasibility and personal relevance. This suggests that socially responsible consumption should be understood as a selective and context-dependent process rather than a consistently applied behavioural pattern (D’Acunto et al., 2025; Lejárraga-García et al., 2024). In addition, the results highlight the ongoing tension between individual responsibility and systemic change. Although Generation Z expresses a willingness to engage in consumption reduction, their actions appear to be concentrated in areas requiring relatively low personal sacrifice, which is consistent with prior research on behavioural selectivity and economic constraints (Borusiak et al., 2024; Ghorban Nejad et al., 2024). This indicates that relying solely on individual responsibility may be insufficient to achieve meaningful environmental outcomes. Instead, structural interventions, such as policy measures, market regulations and improved access to sustainable alternatives, are necessary to support and scale individual pro-environmental intentions into broader societal change (Lorek and Fuchs, 2013; Fischer et al., 2023). To enhance applicability, it is important to identify specific stakeholders and actionable interventions. Firstly, the Environment Ministry and national sustainability agencies can leverage these findings to design targeted behaviour interventions focusing on high-impact domains such as fashion, food and mobility. For example, pilot programmes could promote second-hand clothing consumption through financial incentives, awareness campaigns or partnerships with resale platforms. Secondly, local governments and municipal authorities can support infrastructure and policy initiatives that facilitate reduced consumption, particularly in mobility. These may include expanding access to public transport, investing in cycling infrastructure and introducing incentives for reduced car use or shared mobility solutions. Thirdly, university sustainability councils and higher education institutions represent a particularly relevant context for intervention, given the student-based sample. Universities could implement pilot programmes such as campus-based clothing swap initiatives, food waste reduction campaigns in cafeterias or behavioural nudges encouraging lower resource consumption (e.g. energy-saving competitions in student housing). Fourthly, nongovernmental organisations and environmental advocacy groups can use these insights to design educational campaigns that emphasise tangible, behaviour-specific actions rather than abstract sustainability goals. Messaging strategies that highlight both environmental benefits and personal advantages (e.g. cost savings, convenience) may be particularly effective. The last implication covers educational programmes for students because subjects focused on sustainability should be included in study programmes that could encourage pro-environmental behaviour from a young age, as the study participants were university students (Prandner and Hasengruber, 2025). The results suggest that interventions should prioritise domains where behavioural change is already relatively acceptable to Generation Z, such as clothing consumption and food waste reduction. Pilot interventions in these areas could serve as scalable models for broader sustainability strategies.

Having been mentioned throughout the discussion above, the limitations of this study are only briefly summarised here. Firstly, the generalisability of the sample to the larger population is limited because it only includes university students. More varied age groups and socioeconomic backgrounds may be included in future studies. Furthermore, the study is based on self-reported behaviour intentions rather than observed behaviour, which may limit the external validity of the findings. Although intentions are widely recognised as important predictors of behaviour, future research should aim to incorporate behavioural measures, for example, through longitudinal designs. Furthermore, further studies could explicitly examine the intention–behaviour relationship by introducing mediating and moderating variables, such as economic constraints, habits or social influence, to better capture the mechanisms underlying the attitude–behaviour and intention–behaviour gap. Another limitation is precisely the current behaviour of respondents that largely contradicts these results. Generation Z often buys fast fashion, does not deal with food waste and more than anyone else travels unnecessarily by plane due to very advantageous offers from low-cost airlines. The question is their real, not declared, consumption behaviour. Finally, the sample size should be extended in future studies.

In general, the study revealed how the reduction in environmentally motivated consumption of Generation Z is largely driven by the reduction of the amount of food waste, the reduction of clothing purchases and transportation-related consumption. Pro-environmental intentions and, especially, behaviours are often considered at least partly altruistic, as they are not solely driven by self-interest, but also by concern for others. From this perspective, our results suggest that it would be worth investigating the underlying motivations behind pro-environmental intentions, particularly regarding specific product categories. The findings point towards a more egoistic motivation. That is, people engage in pro-environmental behaviours when it involves minimal sacrifice and offers personal benefits: In terms of reducing food waste, people can save money and feel less guilty about throwing away food. When it comes to fashion, buying pre-owned items often means getting better value for money and sometimes even higher quality products, especially given the poor quality of fast fashion. These tangible, personal benefits support the idea that such behaviours may be more egoistically than altruistically motivated. On the one hand, students from Poland and the Czech Republic show a great desire to live more sustainably, and on the other hand, several behavioural variables differ depending on the country. These results are a foundation for focused sustainability programmes and more studies on how Generation Z consumers behave towards environmental responsibility.