A systematic review and meta-analysis of efficacy beliefs in pro-environmental behavior change

Efficacy beliefs – individuals’ conviction that their actions can make a meaningful difference – are widely regarded as key psychological drivers of pro-environmental behavior and promising targets for climate interventions. Yet it remains unclear whether changing these beliefs translates into action. We conducted a preregistered systematic review synthesizing longitudinal and interventional evidence (129 studies; N ≈ 65,000) to evaluate whether, and under what conditions, efficacy beliefs promote pro-environmental behavior change. After correcting for publication bias, efficacy interventions showed no meaningful effect on intention and behavior (d = 0.01-0.04), largely because most interventions failed to reliably increase efficacy beliefs. Multi-session interventions showed greater promise, whereas brief, message-based interventions were ineffective in altering pro-environmental action. These findings challenge assumptions about the malleability and behavioral impact of efficacy beliefs and redirect research toward understanding how efficacy beliefs can be durably strengthened and interact with social and structural factors to promote climate action.