Download full text
(897.9Kb)
Citation Suggestion
Please use the following Persistent Identifier (PID) to cite this document:
https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:0168-ssoar-83746-1
Exports for your reference manager
Sustainable consumption behavior of Europeans: The influence of environmental knowledge and risk perception on environmental concern and behavioral intention
[journal article]
Abstract This study explores how environmental knowledge and risk perception influence individuals' sustainable consumption behavior through the mediation of environmental concern and behavioral intention. The study combines constructs from earlier studies to form a novel theoretical model, which is tested a... view more
This study explores how environmental knowledge and risk perception influence individuals' sustainable consumption behavior through the mediation of environmental concern and behavioral intention. The study combines constructs from earlier studies to form a novel theoretical model, which is tested and validated with an open data set from the Environment III 2010 module, which was collected by the International Social Survey Programme (ISSP). Our sample consists of respondents from nine countries (N = 11,675) in the European Union (EU) and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA). The model indicates that environmental risk perception and environmental knowledge impact environmental concern significantly. Furthermore, environmental concern strongly influences behavioral intention, and these constructs, in turn, act as mediators of sustainable consumption behavior. The findings indicate that in Europe, sustainable consumption behavior can be associated with environmental concern, which is influenced by increased levels of environmental knowledge and environmental risk perception. The results provide a basis for future analyses once the Environment IV module is released. This will be of particular importance for tracking possible changes in the sustainable consumption behavior of Europeans when transitioning to a green and circular economy that is driven by the European Green Deal and EU Circular Economy Action Plan.... view less
Keywords
sustainability; consumption behavior; knowledge; risk; perception; environmental consciousness; environmental behavior; behavior; Europe; ISSP
Classification
Ecology, Environment
Social Psychology
Free Keywords
Sustainable consumption behavior; Behavioral intention; Environmental concern; Environmental risk perception; Environmental knowledge; PLS-SEM; ZA5500: International Social Survey Programme: Environment III - ISSP 2010
Document language
English
Publication Year
2021
Page/Pages
p. 1-14
Journal
Ecological Economics, 189 (2021)
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2021.107155
ISSN
1873-6106
Status
Published Version; peer reviewed