A community-based vision for the promotion of pro-environmental care

In the complex scenario of the climate crisis, where environmental conflicts and inequalities are a daily issue, the territorial community emerges as a vital space for understanding and addressing the power dynamics characterizing them. This social scenario offers an opportunity to move beyond an individualistic perspective, allowing to deepen the interconnections and interactions between individual and collective levels, that influence decisions and behavior. In the area of studies and research in community psychology, the Community Psychology Lab, through extensive research work, and research and projects has developed tools to better understand the impact of processes on decisions to adopt pro-environmental behaviors, both individually and collectively. Based on the studies developed and their results, this contribution aims at deepening community and collective dimensions promoting collective care for the environment based on a cross-case analysis of different research interventions and projects. Results suggest that promoting the feeling of responsibility towards one’s community may represent a more effective resource than enhancing individuals’ affective bond to it, when it comes to addressing climate and environmental crises. Indeed, Sense of Responsible Togetherness (SoRT) brings individuals towards an active engagement in pro-environmental collective actions, in turn fostering their assumption of environmental-careful behaviors in their private life. Therefore, focusing on community processes becomes crucial not only for understanding environmental challenges, but also for outlining effective solutions. Indeed, according to environmental transition theorists, communities have to be empowered so that they can pursue their own goals and develop strategies aimed at reducing their environmental impacts, such as carbon emissions and oil consumption. On the long run, this approach could help not only promoting environmental sustainability but also building more resilient communities that are aware of their own needs and resources to face old and new stressors.