Chapter 8 Trust in government and its impact on pro-environmental behaviour and concerns in South Africa

This study uses data from the International Social Survey Programme to examine how trust in government affects pro-environmental behaviour(PEB) and environmental concerns in nine South African provinces. We specifically investigate whether higher levels of trust in government influence people’s PEB and ecological concerns, using an ordinary least squares (OLS) regression model. The study also considers how this relationship differs across South Africa’s provinces. Our findings suggest that trust significantly and positively impacts green purchase behaviour and environmental concerns among South Africans. This indicates that those with higher trust in the government tend to engage more in green purchase behaviour and exhibit higher environmental concerns. However, the impact of trust on pro-recycling behaviour and environmental activism is insignificant, showcasing the complex nature of government trust influencing environmental behaviour and attitudes in South Africa. There are also notable differences between provinces, especially in the Western Cape, Eastern Cape and North West provinces of South Africa. These findings provide valuable insights for policymakers under the local economic development framework. The variability in trust’s impact across provinces suggests that a localised, context-specific approach is essential to fostering environmental behaviours and attitudes.