For this reason, the impacts of individual ethical living choices or "green living" can be inconclusive. Some researchers question the amount of carbon footprint reduction that can be achieved through "pro-environmental" behavior as surveys have found that "no significant difference was found between the ecological footprints of the two groups – suggesting that individual pro-environmental attitudes and behaviour do not always reduce the environmental impacts of consumption." This phenomenon has led to a new proposition known as the "behavior-impact gap (BIG) problem" where researchers realize that there may not always be a proportional relationship between changing lifestyle habits and a decrease in one's carbon footprints.
For this reason, the impacts of personal ethical choices or "green living" might not be definitive. Some experts doubt that reducing one's carbon footprint through pro-environmental actions is effective, as studies show no significant difference in ecological footprints between groups – indicating that individual pro-environmental attitudes and behaviors do not always result in environmental impact reductions. This has led to the "behavior-impact gap (BIG) problem," where researchers acknowledge that there may not always be a direct correlation between lifestyle changes and decreased carbon footprints.