Can Environmental Knowledge and Risk Perception Make a Difference? The Role of Environmental Concern and Pro-Environmental Behavior in Fostering Sustainable Consumption Behavior

Abstract

Sustainable consumption is one of the goals of the ‘Sustainable Development Goals 2030′ set by the United Nations. The study is primarily interested in how sustainable consumption behavior can be fostered through environmental knowledge, behaviors, and attitudes. For environmental concern, the role of environmental knowledge is considered significant. Therefore, academia is powered by the desire to impart environmentally friendly attitudes and behaviors to students for sustainable consumption. The main purpose of this study was to measure the influence of environmental knowledge and environmental risk perceptions on the environmental concerns of university students. Likewise, how environmental attitudes act as a moderator in the association between environmental concern and pro-environmental behavior was also taken into account. The unit of analysis was the students enrolled in the universities of China. Following a deductive approach and positivist paradigm, and using SmartPLS, we deployed a structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) technique to test the relationships. The results exhibited that environmental knowledge and environmental risk perceptions are positively and significantly related with environmental concerns. Similarly, environmental concerns and pro-environmental behavior are positively and significantly related to sustainable consumption behavior. Environmental attitude appeared as a moderator in the relationship between environmental concerns and pro-environmental behavior. The theory of planned behavior was considered as the supporting theory for the investigated model, thereby providing empirical evidence for the theory. The study provided important implications and future directions.