• Energy Research

The social confinement resulting from the COVID-19 crisis temporarily reduced greenhouse gas emissions. Although experts contend that the decrease in pollution rates was not drastic, some surveys detect growth in social concern about the climate. In this new climate-conscious environment, municipalities and local governments are promoting a new way of living and caring for cities, even before they can regain national and international freedom of movement. This work analyzes the connections between new climate awareness arising from the COVID-19 crisis, proposals of sustainable citizenship around the world, and its communication on Twitter to educate the new eco-conscious audience. The methodology mixes quantitative and qualitative analysis, using the Twitonomy Premium tool and the Twitter research tool with data extracted at the end of December 2020. Among the top ten most influential and active accounts, the results show educational institutions, local institutions, companies, neighborhoods, associations, and influencers. The impossibility of living in the city has not prevented citizen education and commitment to make real change for when that city and its citizens return to normality. However, this new normality must be different: more ecological, more responsible, more sustainable, and practiced from early childhood.

This paper aims to analyze the external and internal drivers of young consumers’ intention to participate in the sharing economy in tourism. From previous findings, a causal model (PLS) is designed to generate an integrated, practical, and novel structural model that significantly predicts the intention to participate. The model, consisting of nine dimensions, includes consumers’ external and internal variables. Separately, these variables have all been considered relevant in the literature, though they have not been studied jointly before. The descriptive results show the excellent attitude and predisposition of young people toward the tourism sharing economy, which facilitates their participation. Through the model, the importance of all internal and external consumer variables in the formation of intention are proven; however, attitude and social norm are most notable among them. Trust is also a critical variable that serves as the link between internal and external variables. The study provides managers of sharing economy platforms with knowledge to encourage young consumers’ participation in a communication and market orientation context. The generational approach (Generation Z) used also allows the conclusions and implications to be transferred to other regions and sectors.