Pro-environmental behavior and public understanding of climate change

The aim of this article is to examine whether awareness, knowledge and risk perception of climate change have significant influence on attitudes and pro-environmental behaviour. The study found that awareness, knowledge and risk perception of climate change positively influence the formation of favourable attitudes future action climate change. In addition, this paper also found mediated relationship through attitudes between awareness, knowledge, risk perception and pro-environmental behaviour. The paper argues that people are more likely to accept pro-environmental behaviours only if they have sufficient understanding of the adverse impacts of no action. This study offers decision makers field data to formulate relevant environmental policies and strategies in Malaysia.

[1]  S. Moser Talk of the city: engaging urbanites on climate change , 2006 .

[2]  A. Kollmuss,et al.  Mind the Gap: Why do people act environmentally and what are the barriers to pro-environmental behavior? , 2002 .

[3]  R. J. Bord,et al.  Risk Perceptions, General Environmental Beliefs, and Willingness to Address Climate Change , 1999 .

[4]  M. Morris,et al.  How does gender affect the adoption of agricultural innovations , 2000 .

[5]  N. Das Human Development Report 2007/2008 Fighting Climate Change: Human Solidarity in a Divided World, UNDP, New York , 2009 .

[6]  Andy P. Field,et al.  Discovering Statistics Using SPSS , 2000 .

[7]  M. Morris,et al.  How does gender affect the adoption of agricultural innovations? The case of improved maize technology in Ghana , 2000 .

[8]  S. Hoe,et al.  Quantitative Methods Inquires 76 ISSUES AND PROCEDURES IN ADOPTING STRUCTURAL EQUATION MODELING TECHNIQUE , 2008 .

[9]  L. Whitmarsh,et al.  Perceptions, behavior and communication of climate change , 2010 .

[10]  J. Hair Multivariate data analysis , 1972 .

[11]  S. Jacobson,et al.  Local Communities and Protected Areas: Attitudes of Rural Residents Towards Conservation and Machalilla National Park, Ecuador , 1995, Environmental Conservation.

[12]  C.Y. Jim,et al.  Stifled Stakeholders and Subdued Participation: Interpreting Local Responses Toward Shimentai Nature Reserve in South China , 2002, Environmental management.

[13]  Shis-Ping Lin The gap between global issues and personal behaviors: pro-environmental behaviors of citizens toward climate change in Kaohsiung, Taiwan , 2013, Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change.

[14]  S. Oskamp,et al.  Effort as a Moderator of the Attitude-Behavior Relationship: General Environmental Concern and Recycling , 1996 .

[15]  A. Liverani Climate Change and Individual Behavior , 2010 .

[16]  J. Burgess,et al.  Environmental Communication and the Cultural Politics of Environmental Citizenship , 1998 .

[17]  Samsudin A. Rahim,et al.  The Understanding of Environmental Citizenship among Malaysian Youths: A Study on Perception and Participation , 2012 .

[18]  N. Stern What is the Economics of Climate Change , 2006 .

[19]  Nicholas Frank Pidgeon,et al.  Public Views on Climate Change: European and USA Perspectives , 2006 .