Unity of knowledge and action: exploring how hotel low-carbon message framing and policy narrative attributes affect consumer low-carbon behavior

Consumer behavior is a critical determinant of hotels' carbon footprints, as consumption patterns directly influence the magnitude of their carbon emissions. Nevertheless, factors associated with hotel carbon emissions, particularly consumers' low-carbon behaviors, remain insufficiently investigated. This study explored the efficacy of carbon-conscious communication within the hotel industry as a mechanism for behavioral change. It analyzed the most persuasive ways to relay environmental advocacy to consumers, aiming to guide guests toward low-carbon behaviors that substantively decrease a facility's overall carbon output. Drawing on norm activation theory, the present research conducted three experiments to investigate the primary effects of low-carbon message framing (facilitative vs. preventive) and policy narrative (gain vs. loss) on consumer low-carbon behavior, the mediating role of environmental responsibility, and the moderating role of green practices on environmental responsibility. Our findings indicated that gain policy narratives were more effective when paired with facilitative low-carbon message framing, while loss policy narratives similarly facilitated behavioral change under preventive low-carbon message framing. Environmental responsibility mediates the interaction between low-carbon message framing and policy narrative in influencing consumer low-carbon behavior. Besides, green practices negatively moderate the impact of low-carbon message framing on environmental responsibility. Overall, these results suggest that hotels utilizing a visualized, facilitative low-carbon messaging combined with gain policy narratives can more effectively activate consumers' sense of environmental responsibility and encourage low-carbon behaviors.