Effects of Social Capital on Pro-Environmental Behaviors in Chinese Residents

With regard to the factors influencing pro-environmental behavior, environmental sociology has long been mired in the theoretical debate between the affluence hypothesis and global environmentalism in the West. This study explores the mechanisms influencing pro-environmental behaviors by applying social capital theory. Drawing upon the data from the Chinese General Social Survey in 2013 (CGSS2013), this study distinguishes social capital in two dimensions—individual social capital (ISC) and collective social capital (CSC)—and classifies pro-environmental behaviors into two categories: private and public. With a multiple linear regression model, the report reveals that ISC, based on network learning, social support, and social identity, and CSC, based on social norms and social trust, have significant positive effects on both private and public pro-environmental behaviors. The effect of CSC on pro-environmental behavior is much lower than that of ISC. In addition, females are more likely to perform private pro-environmental behaviors than males. This paper argues that social capital should be actively used to promote civic engagement in China’s environmental protection process.