This study aims at embedding sustainability practices by exploring sustainable actions of individuals consisting the educated workforce of Greece. A tailored questionnaire was created and sent via e-mails to 500 respondents, to identify a snapshot of participants daily buying and consuming actions. 483 responses received and analyzed using statistical tools. They respond to recommendations for enhancing sustainability consciousness at individual level, inspiring people to buy sustainable, creating new consumption attitudes that are key factors for moving towards a sustainable citizenship. The findings will further provide information for a second paper on developing the 'Go Sustainable Living' digital application to be uploaded in individuals' mobile phones, for rewarding users with points that correspond to each sustainable action and can later be used for discounts in all participating stores. The analysis showed that <30% of consumers are considered sustainability-conscious, 57.6% are in a transition phase, while 13% fell into the category of non-conscious. To make sustainable decisions and actions in every daily life, individuals need to have knowledge of sustainability, awareness, consciousness of their actions, and be active citizens. An educated workforce armed with sustainability perceptions and competencies is an asset for societies and businesses poised to respond to the sustainability call. Sustainability should not be only an 'utopia' in our societies but an 'eutopia' entailing a life with ecological and social health and prosperity at a local, regional, and global level.
Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s43615-021-00046-9.
Keywords: Actions; Greece; Green citizenship; Individual level; Questionnaire; Survey; Sustainable living.
© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021.