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Breaking the energy crisis: Does the role of government support impact Ghanaians' intention to adopt sustainable energy from food waste?

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  • Tang, Decai
  • Obuobi, Bright
  • Nketiah, Emmanuel
  • Adu-Gyamfi, Gibbson

Abstract

The energy crisis developing nations face requires sustainable efforts to curb the situation. The food waste menace can be harnessed to solve these energy issues. Therefore, this research combines the Theory of Planned Behavior and the Theory of Interpersonal Behavior with the extension of government policy to investigate the factors influencing citizens' intention to adopt sustainable energy solutions derived from food waste in Ghana, addressing a critical gap in the existing literature on sustainable energy from food waste adoption. As a nation facing increasing challenges in waste management and energy sustainability, Ghana provides a unique context for exploring the intricate dynamics of citizen engagement in utilizing food waste for energy generation. With 526 sampled data from citizens across Ghana, analysis is made with the help of partial least square structural equation modeling. The integrated model proved to be better than the individual models, with 44.4 % explanatory power. The findings revealed that attitude has a strong positive influence on intention in all three models. Both subjective norms and perceived behavioral control strongly impact intention. Facilitating conditions, social factors, and habits were all found to impact intention strongly. Affect has a strong negative impact on intention. Government support was found to impact both intention and behavior strongly. Insightful recommendations are made for policymakers to boost green energy investment and patronage.

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  • Tang, Decai & Obuobi, Bright & Nketiah, Emmanuel & Adu-Gyamfi, Gibbson, 2025. "Breaking the energy crisis: Does the role of government support impact Ghanaians' intention to adopt sustainable energy from food waste?," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 320(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:energy:v:320:y:2025:i:c:s0360544225010369
    DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2025.135394
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