Abstract
As global environmental challenges intensify, understanding the drivers of pro-environmental actions are essential for developing effective sustainability strategies.This study examines whether empathy, traditionally studied in the context of human relationships, can be extended to natural ecosystems, and how this broader empathy relates to pro-environmental attitudes. Using self-reported empathy responses to distressing images of humans, animals, urban ecosystems, and natural ecosystems, we analyzed responses from 122 participants. Our findings show that empathy with humans positively correlates with empathy with animals, natural ecosystems, and urban ecosystems. Moreover, empathy with animals and natural ecosystems is significantly positively associated with pro-environmental attitudes. These results suggest that empathy can indeed encompass broader ecological systems, providinginsights for designing educational interventions that foster empathy and pro-environmental attitudes.Furthermore, empathy for nature is not associated with pro-environmental behaviors, suggesting that other factors may influence direct actions.