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Environmental Awareness and Air Quality: The Mediating Role of Environmental Protective Behaviors

Author

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  • Shazia Kousar

    (Department of Economics, Lahore College for Women University, Lahore 54000, Pakistan)

  • Muhammad Afzal

    (Department of Economics, Lahore College for Women University, Lahore 54000, Pakistan)

  • Farhan Ahmed

    (Department of Economics & Management Sciences, NED University of Engineering and Technology, Karachi 75270, Pakistan)

  • Štefan Bojnec

    (Faculty of Management, University of Primorska, SI-6101 Koper-Capodistria, Slovenia)

Abstract

The purpose of this study is twofold: First, it tests the role of students’ environmental awareness and climate change awareness in their environmental protective behavior and environment quality (EQ). Second, it tests the mediating role of environmental protective behaviors in the association between environment behavior, climate change behavior, and environment quality. Moreover, this study utilizes climate-friendly behaviors and pro-environmental behaviors to reflect environmental protective behaviors. The stratified random sampling technique was applied to collect data through a questionnaire from a sample of 403 graduate students enrolled in Higher Education Commission-recognized private and public universities of Pakistan. This study applied partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to empirically estimate the results. This study found that climate change awareness significantly and positively affects climate-friendly behavior, environmental quality, and pro-environmental behavior. Similarly, environmental awareness significantly and positively affects environmental quality and pro-environmental behavior. Moreover, pro-environmental behavior significantly affects environmental quality. Indirect results indicate that pro-environmental behavior significantly mediates between climate change awareness and environmental quality, and between environmental awareness and environmental quality. The findings of this study suggest the importance of enhancing awareness of climate- and climate change-related issues among students to save the environment. Higher education institutions should design subjects and courses that will raise environmental and climate change awareness, and expose students to climate- and environment-friendly education.

Suggested Citation

  • Shazia Kousar & Muhammad Afzal & Farhan Ahmed & Štefan Bojnec, 2022. "Environmental Awareness and Air Quality: The Mediating Role of Environmental Protective Behaviors," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-20, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:6:p:3138-:d:766176
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    Cited by:

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    7. Nguyen Huong-An Thi & Osman Zahir & Serrano Joane & Suhandoko Astri Dwi Jayanti & Intaratat Kamolrat, 2025. "Determinants of environmental awareness toward the green living behaviour of students: the role of family, university and social environmental factors in Hanoi, Vietnam," Environmental & Socio-economic Studies, Sciendo, vol. 13(1), pages 1-14.
    8. Emilio Cedrún-Vázquez & Juan E. Núñez-Ríos & Jacqueline Y. Sánchez-García & Guillermo Sosa-Gómez & Omar Rojas, 2025. "Structural Equation Modeling for Analyzing Pro-Environmental Behavior in Switzerland," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(8), pages 1-31, April.
    9. K. Deshika De S. Jayasekara & Darshana Rajapaksa & U. A. D. Prasanthi Gunawardena, 2024. "Impacts of Environmental Knowledge, Motives, and Behavior on Ecotourism," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(11), pages 1-20, June.
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    11. Omar Paolo Benito & Nagib Ismail Ahmed & Yogi Tri Prasetyo & Maela Madel L. Cahigas & Reny Nadlifatin, 2025. "Factors Affecting the Drought Preparedness in Somaliland," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(2), pages 1-22, January.
    12. Chengquan Zhang & Xifeng Wu & Kun Qian & Sijia Zhao & Hatef Madani & Jin Chen & Yu Chen, 2024. "Environmental Awareness and Social Sustainability: Insights from an Agent-Based Model with Social Learning and Individual Heterogeneity," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(17), pages 1-21, September.
    13. Esteban A. Soto & Ebisa Wollega & Alexander Vizcarrondo Ortega & Andrea Hernandez-Guzman & Lisa Bosman, 2024. "Reduction in Emissions by Massive Solar Plant Integration in the US Power Grid," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(7), pages 1-15, March.
    14. Meipry Amelia & Yvonne Augustine Sudibyo, 2023. "The effect of environmental awareness, the role of accountants, and sustainable development on climate change," Technium Social Sciences Journal, Technium Science, vol. 39(1), pages 716-729, January.
    15. Congbin Cheng & Sayed Fayaz Ahmad & Muhammad Irshad & Ghadeer Alsanie & Yasser Khan & Ahmad Y. A. Bani Ahmad (Ayassrah) & Abdu Rahman Aleemi, 2023. "Impact of Green Process Innovation and Productivity on Sustainability: The Moderating Role of Environmental Awareness," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(17), pages 1-19, August.
    16. Hasan Volkan Oral & Özge Eren & A. Suna Erses Yay & Erkan Cermik & Hazal A. Kara & Hasan Saygın, 2025. "Evaluating the transition among K-19 students in the context of environmental citizenship," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 27(7), pages 16637-16654, July.
    17. Yunxian Yan & Lingqing Wang & Jun Yang, 2022. "The Willingness and Technology Preferences of Farmers and Their Influencing Factors for Soil Remediation," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-15, October.
    18. Khalid S. Al-Abdulqader & Abdul-Jalil Ibrahim & Jingkai Ong & Ahmed A. Khalifa, 2025. "Environmental Consciousness and Willingness to Pay for Carbon Emissions Reductions: Empirical Evidence from Qatar," Energies, MDPI, vol. 18(17), pages 1-24, August.
    19. M. M. Sulphey & Nassar Saad AlKahtani & Nabil Ahmed Mareai Senan & Anass Hamad Elneel Adow, 2023. "New Environmental Paradigm, Environmental Attitude, and Proenvironmental Behaviour as Antecedents of Environmental Sustainability," International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, Econjournals, vol. 13(3), pages 418-427, May.

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