Energy Transition towards Sustainable Development: Perspective of Individuals’ Engagement Amid Transition Process

Abstract

The energy transition towards sustainable development is a significant propeller to achieving carbon neutrality and reducing the further impact of human-induced climate change through decarbonizing the energy sector. Yet, the discussion often neglects individual engagement and participation. Emerging studies and research focus on energy transition readiness and the attitude–behavior gap on both (inter-) national and public participation levels. Still, similar bottom-up research and studies on individual engagement in energy transition are rare in the context of Asia. Based on an online questionnaire (N = 150) conducted in Hong Kong from February to March 2022, this study followed the Attitude-Behavior-Context (A-B-C) Model to investigate whether individual pro-energy transition behavior was affected by both internal socio-psychological variables and the external socio-economic context. The data collected was analyzed by Cronbach’s alpha and multiple regression analysis. Statistical results show that individuals’ internal socio-psychological variables significantly contributed to the pro-energy transition behavior of Hong Kong citizens in terms of their pro-energy transition practices and other engagements in energy transition-related activities. In contrast, pro-energy transition behavior was less explained by the socio-economic context perceived by the respondents, and the explained behavior was limited to the respondents’ other engagements in energy-transition-related activities. The above findings suggest that citizens are in line with the related policies or more readily equipped for energy transition than the government. Government bodies are encouraged to set more ambitious targets and actions to achieve the 2050 carbon neutrality goal. The conceptualization of energy behavior and habit formation may help reduce the disparity of transition readiness among different stakeholders in Hong Kong.