Small actions to promote conservation and sustainability

Abstract

In the context of recent anthropogenic climate change and the alarming loss of biodiversity, urgent action is required to safeguard our life-sustaining ecosystems and implement effective sustainable conservation behavior change strategies. To attend to this concern, the present study explores the efficacy of the evidence-based Tiny Habits® method in fostering behavior change for sustainability. To this end, a case–control pilot project was conducted with a small cohort of adults randomly divided into two groups: cases and controls. Both groups engaged in a 5-day online program, selecting and practicing three Tiny Habits recipes daily. The conservation Tiny Habits group focused on sustainable actions, while the control group engaged in non-conservation activities such as relaxation. The results revealed that practicing the Tiny Habits method resulted in an immediate and sustained increase in conservation actions, with lasting changes (up to 1 month) in the participants' behavior. The mean scores for the intervention group at baseline significantly differed from those immediately and at 1 month after the intervention (p = .0092 and p = .0033). These findings suggest that the Tiny Habits method can be a viable opportunity to cultivate sustainable habits in the long term.