Influence of publicity and education and environmental values on the green consumption behavior of urban residents in tibet

Abstract

Faced with ecological environmental issues and a surge in the consumption of products in the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau, it is necessary to explore the effective driving mechanism of green consumption behavior. This study investigated the impact of publicity and education on green consumption behavior and explored the mediating effects of environmental values and the moderating effects of price sensitivity. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with a sample of 500 questionnaires, which were randomly distributed by stratified random sampling to municipal government departments, public institutions, communities, streets, shops, and supermarket entrances in Lhasa, Shan Nan, and Xigaze in Tibet. Further, structural equation modeling was applied to derive data for statistical analyses. Publicity, education, and environmental values had a significant influence on green consumption behavior. Environmental values play a mediating role in the influence of publicity and education on green consumption behavior. Price sensitivity negatively moderates the relationship between publicity and education and environmental values; when considering the price of green consumption, the positive impact on environmental values is weakened by publicity and education. Furthermore, it moderates the mediating effect of environmental values. Publicity and education remain the primary intervention for promoting green consumption. Especially in areas with ethnic minorities, publicity and education in combination with the characteristics of ethnic areas should be used to promote the traditional Tibetan culture of respect for all life and to live in harmony with nature. Moreover, policies, regulations, and tax subsidies related to green consumption should be improved while reducing the negative impact of prices and other economic factors on the propensity to consume. These findings provide empirical evidence for the complex relationship between government intervention measures and urban residents’ green consumption behavior.