Analysis of Consumer Pro-Environmental Behavior—The Context of Scientific Research

The progress of civilization and the related technological development have made electricity a necessary component of production processes and a necessary condition for the functioning of households and individuals. The continuous demand for electricity, coupled with adverse changes in the climate, has made it necessary to intensify efforts to increase the share of renewable “green” energy and encourage its sustainable use. Appropriate activities should be and—in many countries—are undertaken at various administrative levels (i.e., national, regional or local levels and at the household level) and in many dimensions: economic, legal, political, cultural, institutional, etc. Consequently, the production and use of electricity constitutes an extensive research field which is being explored by researchers, representing various disciplines and research centers around the world. Some crucial aspects are investigated by specialists in the field of social sciences, also as part of interdisciplinary projects. This effort seems extremely important because the ill-considered energy policy of many countries may prove destructive for the natural environment and lead to adverse global climate changes. Legal regulations and initiatives of international bodies are indispensable, as is instigating change in the behaviors, habits and attitudes of end consumers. This applies to both direct consumption of energy and indirect consumption, i.e., when energy is a component of purchased goods and services.

Therefore, consumer attitudes constitute an important area of research in this field. Consumer behavior in terms of reducing energy consumption, the use of renewable energy sources (solar, wind), reducing water consumption, using alternative forms of individual and collective transport, limiting the waste of food and other products (the “zero waste” concept), and sharing of resources lead both directly and indirectly to saving energy and consequently to slowing down unfavorable climate change. It is also desirable to improve research methodologies in this area and to disseminate both methodological solutions and research results, especially in renowned and far-reaching journals.

The research papers presented in this special edition cover a wide range of topics related to the pro-environmental behavior of consumers, which fall within the broadly understood sustainable energy policy. The researchers used a variety of data acquisition and analysis methods from primary and secondary sources.

Pro-environmental behavior is motivated primarily by various factors: economic and legal [1], as well as care for one’s own health, family health and care for the environment [2,3]. The presented research shows that most of the pro-environmental behaviors in Poland include activities such as: sorting waste, using reusable bags when shopping, and saving water and electricity. The idea of the circular economy and its benefits for environmental protection is also an increasingly analyzed topic [2].

Statutory regulations concerning municipal waste collection and recycling are very important in stimulating pro-environmental behavior [1,2]. Some scientific publications [2,4] point to young people from Generation Z as the cohort to which the policies inducing pro-environmental attitudes should be directed. In the modern world, consumers of the younger generation are becoming especially conscious creators of new, pro-environmental values. They can actively participate in solving global problems in the field of environmental protection and sustainable energy production practices. It is necessary to accelerate the changes already introduced in the energy and climate policy towards renewable energy sources. With appropriate support from states, this should result in a rapid increase in the number of prosumers who effectively produce green energy for their own needs and for the domestic energy sector [5].

In the analysis of the issues selected for this Special Issue, qualitative and quantitative methods were used. Various statistical methods [6,7], the TOPSIS method [7] were used, as well as predictive models and artificial neural networks to forecast electricity demand in the short term [5]. These issues also fall within the field of behavioral economics and even make it possible to create behavioral models taking into account a range of variables [8].

Covering the energy needs of households is one of the basic factors determining their ability to function. Energy is closely related to sustainable development, inter alia in a social context (e.g., by increasing energy supplies sufficiently to meet human needs). Thus, households should be oriented towards sustainable consumption, including sustainable energy consumption [9], and—even more broadly—the introduction of the ZERO WASTE principle [10].

Transport is an important sector of the economy which indirectly, and increasingly often directly, uses energy (e.g., electric cars and buses). This sector also strongly impacts the natural environment [6].

Concern for the natural environment, and thus electricity, should be implemented not only in the place of residence or work [11], but also during tourist trips, especially to countries classified as “emerging markets” [8]. Lower-income countries are more involved in solving economic problems than in caring for the environment. Environmentally friendly behavior is also often financially more demanding and therefore more viable at higher income levels [4,7]. It is also possible and important to transfer good pro-environmental behavior patterns from the workplace to home context, which opens up additional educational space in this area [11]. The media [10], including mobile applications [4], which are particularly eagerly used by young consumers, play an important role in creating the right attitudes.

The issues discussed in this Special Issue are broad and topical. The presented research results show that, apart from enacting legal regulations, it is equally important to deliver factual information and undertake promotional activities to shape pro-environmental consumer attitudes. These activities should be addressed primarily to young consumers, in line with the principle that young people should become promoters and advisers in the field of environmental protection.

Moreover, it is important that pro-environmental actions are not only taken by administrative units but also by non-governmental organizations and local media.

Constant monitoring of consumption trends is necessary. It can support decision-making processes in terms of optimizing the size and structure of investment outlays, And it is also crucial with regard to the EU’s Energy and Climate Policy, not to mention the current war in Ukraine raising questions about further access to fuels, and thus potential problems with energy supply.

From the theoretical and also practical points of view, it is important to extend the scope of official statistics and to improve the process of collecting and disseminating empirical data.

The opening of this journal to social research on direct and indirect energy consumption is justified in the face of climate and political change, the consequences of which are being experienced by people all over the world. It is also an excellent example of MDPI’s recognition of their social and environmental responsibility, for which I would like to thank on behalf of myself and the individual authors.