Pro-environmental changes in lifestyle and consumer habits of Croatian students during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Some studies that observed lifestyle changes during COVID-19 lockdown measures report positive implications for the environment. However, others warn that these pro-environmental changes may have only been temporary and that negative effects could outweigh the positive ones. In this paper, we examine whether the COVID-19 pandemic has influenced pro-environmental changes in the lifestyle and consumer habits of students in Croatia. The research was conducted between the end of 2020 and the start of 2021, using an online survey method, with a convenience sampling of N=1245 students from three Croatian Universities in Osijek, Split, and Zagreb. We looked at a range of lifestyle and consumer habits, such as mobility, shopping frequency and extent, food self-provisioning, as well as recycling and household savings, to see whether there were significant changes that can be classified as environmentally friendly. The results show that the pandemic did not have a significant long-term effect on pro-environmental behavior (PEB). Those who practiced PEB before the pandemic continued to do so, primarily motivated by environmental worldview and prioritizing environmental protection. For others, there were either no changes in PEB during the pandemic, or it was only short-term, connected to the limiting circumstances of the pandemic on their usual lifestyle.