The Impact of Online Environmental Platform Services on Users' Green Consumption Behaviors

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Jun 30;19(13):8009. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19138009.

Abstract

With the continuous prominence of environmental problems, some online environmental platforms have been built in China. Such platforms provide an important carrier for public to learn environmental knowledge and participate in environmental protection. However, whether such platforms can play a substantive role in promoting users' green consumption behaviors is still unclear. Focusing on this question, the influence of online environmental platform services on public green consumption behaviors is explored. A model based on the theory of stimulus-organism-response is established to analyze the influential mechanism, using the online environmental platform services as the independent variable, users' green consumption behaviors as the dependent variable, environmental attitude as the mediator, and users' price sensitivity as the moderator. Survey data are used to test the model. The empirical results show that online environmental platform services have a significant positive impact on users' green consumption behaviors. Environmental attitude plays a partial mediating role and price sensitivity negatively moderates the mediating role of environmental attitude. Suggestions are given from the perspectives of platform operators and government. This paper provides both theoretical and practical implications for sustainable consumption.

Keywords: environmental attitude; green consumption behaviors; online environmental platform services; price sensitivity.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Attitude*
  • China
  • Conservation of Natural Resources*
  • Surveys and Questionnaires

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the National Social Science Planning Project of China (granted number 20BGL195).