To effectively limit climate change, we need people to both behave pro-environmentally and support environmental policy. However, there are conflicting results about whether people are likely to do both these actions. Extending previous research, we propose that people are likely to both behave pro-environmentally and support environmental policy because both are expressions of intrinsic pro-environmental motivation. We tested our reasoning in three studies in which we vary the order of measuring pro-environmental behaviour and policy support, and include different indicators of behaviour and policy support. As hypothesised, we consistently found that pro-environmental behaviour and environmental policy support are positively related. Importantly, as expected, stronger pro-environmental motivation was related to more pro-environmental behaviour and greater support for environmental policy. Further, the relationship between behaviour and policy support became weaker—or disappeared—when controlling for pro-environmental motivation. We find no evidence that focusing people on their environmental motivation results in increased engagement in pro-environmental action. Our results imply that policymakers can encourage people to both behave pro-environmentally and support environmental policy without concern that one might impede the other.

为了有效地限制气候变化，我们需要人们既支持环保又支持环境政策。然而，关于人们是否有可能同时做这两种行为，结果存在矛盾。扩展先前的研究，我们提出人们可能既表现出亲环境行为又支持环境政策，因为两者都是内在的亲环境动机的表达。我们在三项研究中检验了我们的推理，在这些研究中，我们改变了衡量亲环境行为和政策支持的顺序，并包括了不同的行为指标和政策支持。正如假设的那样，我们一致发现亲环境行为和环境政策支持呈正相关。重要的是，正如预期的那样，更强烈的环保动机与更环保的行为和对环境政策的更大支持有关。此外，当控制环保动机时，行为和政策支持之间的关系变得更弱或消失了。我们没有发现任何证据表明人们关注他们的环境动机会导致更多地参与环保行动。我们的结果表明，政策制定者可以鼓励人们采取有利于环境的行为并支持环境政策，而不必担心其中一方会妨碍另一方。我们没有发现任何证据表明人们关注他们的环境动机会导致更多地参与环保行动。我们的结果表明，政策制定者可以鼓励人们采取有利于环境的行为并支持环境政策，而不必担心其中一方会妨碍另一方。我们没有发现任何证据表明人们关注他们的环境动机会导致更多地参与环保行动。我们的结果表明，政策制定者可以鼓励人们采取有利于环境的行为并支持环境政策，而不必担心其中一方会妨碍另一方。