Will Low-Carbon Purchasing Behavior Make Residents’ Behaviors Greener? Research Based on Spillover Effects

Ting Yue,Mengting Li,Ruyin Long,Hong Chen,Lan Zhang,Chenchen Gao

doi:10.3389/fenvs.2021.783486

Abstract

Low-carbon purchasing behavior is the core part of low-carbon consumption behavior. Its impact on low-carbon use behavior, recycling behavior, and garbage sorting behavior needs to be further clarified. Based on self-perception theory and cognitive dissonance theory, this paper constructs a theoretical model of the spillover effect of low-carbon purchasing behavior on low-carbon use behavior, recycling behavior and garbage sorting behavior through self-efficacy and environmental self-identity. This paper uses the Bootstrap method to analyze 494 valid questionnaires empirically. The results show that: low-carbon purchasing behavior has a significantly positive effect on low-carbon use behavior, recycling behavior, and garbage sorting behavior. Self-efficacy and environmental self-identity play partially parallel mediating roles in the spillover effect. The mediating effect of environmental self-efficacy is stronger than environmental self-identity between low-carbon purchasing behavior and low-carbon use behavior. The mediating effect of self-efficacy is weaker than environmental self-identity between low-carbon purchasing behavior and recycling behavior or garbage sorting behavior. The spillover effects are different in demographic variables. The spillover effect of men is more substantial than women. The spillover effect of residents in 18–44 years old is more significant than residents in other age groups. The spillover effect of married residents is the largest. Residents with a bachelor’s degree have the most significant spillover effects on recycling behavior and garbage sorting behavior than residents with other educational levels. Professional and technical personnel have the most considerable spillover effect than other occupation types. The spillover effect is the largest when the family have three members. The spillover effect of residents with a monthly household income of 6,000–8,000 yuan is the largest between low-carbon purchasing behavior and low-carbon use behavior.

Highlights

The IPCC fifth climate change assessment report strengthens the conclusion that global warming is caused by human activities (IPCC, 2015)
We find that low-carbon purchasing behavior has a positive effect on low-carbon use behavior, recycling behavior, and garbage sorting behavior
It takes residents with good practices in low-carbon purchasing behavior as the research object. It finds that low-carbon purchasing behavior has a positive spillover effect on behavior in the low-carbon consumption field, which supplements the evidence for the positive spillover effect of low-carbon purchasing behavior

Summary

Introduction

The IPCC fifth climate change assessment report strengthens the conclusion that global warming is caused by human activities (IPCC, 2015). The main cause of climate warming is the increasing concentration of greenhouse gases. Residents’ behavior is an important factor affecting emissions of greenhouse gas (Wang, 2018). It directly affects energy consumption and domestic carbon emissions and is the main driving factor of energy consumption and industrial carbon emissions (Pachauri and Spreng, 2002). This paper is concerned with several components of lowcarbon consumption behavior: low-carbon purchasing behavior, low-carbon use behavior, recycling behavior and garbage sorting behavior. To lowcarbon purchasing behavior, these types of behavior have the potential to reduce substantially carbon emissions (Liu et al, 2019)

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Conclusion