Ecologically conscious behaviour of urban Chinese consumers: the implications to public policy in China

Abstract

The huge population of China, together with its rapid economic growth, has created problems of exhaustion of resources and environmental pollution, which not only harm the Chinese but the rest of the world as well. Studying the underlying forces of environment-related behaviours at all levels in China is very important. An awareness of resource conservation and environmental protection has gradually emerged in China. Nevertheless, consumers’ poor environmental consciousness is a major obstacle for China to build an environmentally-friendly society. Consolidating the experience of research in developed countries, a survey of 1392 Chinese consumers was conducted to explore the determinants of ecologically conscious behaviour (ECB) through an extended knowledge-attitude-practice (KAP) model. Results of the analyses showed that some socio-psychological factors have impacts on consumers’ ECB. Specifically, affection for resource conservation and environmental protection (eco-affection) and social responsibility consciousness have direct effects; eco-awareness has indirect effects; and eco-knowledge and materialistic values on consumption have both direct and indirect effects on consumers’ ECB. These findings provide important public policy implications for government and NGOs to guide consumers to engage in ECB.