Motivation Science, Vol 12(2), Jun 2026, 147-151; doi:10.1037/mot0000402
Sustainability is one of the most pressing global challenges today, encompassing imminent threats such as biodiversity loss and climate change. Despite widespread awareness of these threats, translating concern into actual change remains difficult. This special issue addresses this gap through the lens of motivation science, exploring the physiological, psychological, and sociocultural underpinnings of sustainable behavior. We present novel research on psychological barriers to behavior change, covering diverse proenvironmental behaviors measured as intentions and actual actions. Several contributions propose interventions to improve self-regulatory processes and illuminate how such processes may interact with people’s choice architecture to maximize their effectiveness. We also cover new insights into how sociocultural factors such as socioeconomic status, gender norms, and cultural differences shape sustainable behavior. Beyond individual behavior change, we present new research on collective action dynamics and policy acceptance to bring about systemic changes. By synthesizing findings across diverse psychological fields, this issue advances our understanding of sustainable behavior, provides actionable insights for policymakers, and highlights future research avenues at the intersection of motivation and sustainability science. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved)