Gender differences in reasoning energy-saving behaviors of university students

Highlights

• Students’ energy-saving intention positively affected their behaviors (β = 0.5).

• PBC and PMN were two most powerful exogenous explainers of energy-saving behavior.

• Females tended to present more favorable energy-saving awareness and action.

• Biological, physical, and sociocultural contexts may cause gender differences.

• Gender differences appeared as well as gender similarities in behavioral mechanism.

Abstract

Younger generations encounter much more challenges than their (grand)parents in fighting climate change and experience more radical behavioral changes in achieving net zero carbon target by 2050. However, there is insufficient research on energy-saving behavioral mechanisms of young people and the gender effect on their perceptions and practices. This study aims to explore gender differences in reasoning energy-saving behaviors of university students. First, a social psychological model was proposed by expanding the theory of planned behavior to expound energy-saving behaviors. Then, the proposed model was tested using structural equation modelling methods with data obtained from 1021 university students in Hong Kong. Next, gender differences in energy-saving behaviors were examined with multigroup analysis and comparative statistical methods. Results show that gender differences existed evidently in energy-saving perceptions and practices of university students in favor of females. Behavioral intentions of males and females were predicted by different combinations of beliefs, though they shared similar “belief - intention & control - behavior” logics. Gender effect sizes ranged from trivial to moderate and overestimation or neglect of meaningful gender differences should be avoided. The findings enable a better understanding of gender effect in pro-environmental domain and facilitate the transformation to low carbon lifestyles.

Introduction

Approximately 30 % of global energy consumption is directly or indirectly attributed to the operation of buildings [1]. CO₂ emissions from building operations have reached a historical high in 2019 (10 Gt), responsible for 28 % of total global energy-related CO₂ emissions. Thus, significant drops in carbon emissions in the buildings sector are essential for realizing net zero operations. By October 2021, a total of 203 countries had submitted at least a first National Determined Contribution (NDC) towards reducing emissions under the Paris Agreement [2]. The implementation of renewable energy sources and the improvement of building energy efficiency are two most frequently employed policies in NDCs. However, emission reductions require not only low-carbon technologies but also the proactive engagement of consumers [1], [3], [4]. One quarter of the gap between today’s pledges and the net zero emissions by 2050 scenario (NZE) in buildings sector by 2030, has to do with behavioral change [5]. It has also been gradually recognized that insights from behavioral and social sciences will help to understand the obstacles to energy-wise choices and the catalysts of positive behavioral change [6], [7].

Moreover, clean energy transitions should incorporate the voice of younger generations, who are to inherit the consequences of decisions made today [3], [6]. Statistics reveal that babies born today are allowed only 10 % of CO₂ emissions produced by older generations born in the 1950 s during their lifetimes in the NZE [8]. In other words, younger generations will encounter much more challenges than their (grand)parents in fighting climate change and experience more radical transformation into low carbon lifestyles. Also, people aged 65 or older would adhere to a different energy-use habit than young people [9], and findings with other generations may not apply to young people. In addition, energy-saving experiences of students in dormitories are believed to have a prolonged effect on the sustainability of the society when they start a career [10], [11]. Young people in their late teens or twenties shall be the mainstay of the net zero transition in this century. Thus, it is necessary to investigate behavioral mechanisms of younger generations, preparing for a net zero future.

Furthermore, previous studies indicate that gender differences exist in one’s energy knowledge, attitude, and practice [12]. Wife-dominated households reported much less energy consumption than husband-dominated or joint decision-making households in Indonesia [13]. Similar findings were available in China [14] and the UK [15] regarding household energy use, in Germany [16] about commuting emissions, and in Greece and Sweden [17] on energy use for travel etc. Women were more likely to conserve energy and perform green practices, e.g., adjust the timing of energy use to fit fluctuations of renewable electricity supply [18], reducing energy use and purchasing energy-efficient products [14], [19], [20]. Such gender gaps appear not only practically, but also cognitively. For instance, interviews with ten households in Denmark suggested that men and women had distinct ideas regarding energy renovations due to their different everyday practices in the house [21]. Gender differences in energy conservation or sustainability concerns in favor of females were also found in Sweden [22], France [23], and across countries [24], [25]. However, the significance of gender effect depended on the type of energy-saving or pro-environmental behaviors [26], [27]. For instance, a study in Italy found that women were evidently more likely to fully load the washing machine or dishwasher than men, but no significant difference was found in their tendency to turn off the heating system in less cold winter days [26].

In summary, positive behavioral change of energy users in buildings is critical for pursing carbon neutrality, in which the engagement of younger generations matters, and the gender effect should not be ignored. However, there is insufficient research focused on younger generations and their behavioral mechanisms of energy-saving practice. Also, it remains unclear if energy-saving behaviors of males and females are cognitively shaped in dissimilar manners. This study aims to explore gender differences in reasoning energy-saving behaviors of university students. Three questions were answered in this study: What indicators sculpt energy-saving intention and behavior of university students? How do these indicators work together to motivate male and female students to take energy-saving actions? What are the challenges and opportunities for generating energy-saving behavioral interventions for university students?

The rest of this paper is organized as follows. Section 2 establishes a theoretical framework of energy-saving behaviors and develops relevant hypotheses. Section 3 introduces data and methods applied in this study, including measures of variables, the online survey, Structural Equation Modelling (SEM), and multigroup analysis. Section 4 reports the results of hypothesis testing and evaluates gender differences in behavioral mechanisms. Section 5 discusses possible causes of gender differences and provides recommendations for energy-saving strategies targeting university students. Section 6 summarizes the findings and contributions of this study.