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Global energy consumption has surged significantly in the past century, with the imprudent utilization of vast energy resources resulting in detrimental environmental, economic, and social consequences (X. Chen, Shuai, Wu, & Zhang, 2021; Xu & Lin, 2023). Particularly in the last two decades, the emission of greenhouse gases from energy sources has triggered many significant environmental challenges. These encompass critical issues such as global warming, the increased frequency of extreme weather events, adverse health effects due to air pollution, and other socio-economic issues (Cohen, Cowie, Babiker, Leip, & Smith, 2021; Ledda, Di Cesare, Satta, Cocco, & De Montis, 2021; Nawaz, 2021; Shi et al., 2022; T. Tang & Kim, 2023). Mitigating non-essential energy consumption and enhancing energy efficiency necessitates collaborative efforts from governments, businesses, and individuals. Governments play a crucial role in the formulation of energy policies, support for technological advancements, and the reinforcement of international cooperation (Z. Wang & Qiu, 2021; Xiaofan Zhao, Li, Wu, & Qi, 2014; Zheng, Deng, Li, & Yang, 2022; W. K. Zhu, Wang, Wang, Wu, & Yue, 2022). Enterprises contribute by employing energy-efficient manufacturing equipment, establishing effective energy management systems, and investing in energy-saving innovations (Caporale, Donati, & Spagnolo, 2023; Wu, Xue, Hao, & Ren, 2021; Zhuang et al., 2023). In the residential sector, the second-largest energy consumer in China following the industrial sector, energy conservation is predominantly achieved through modifications in residents' energy consumption behavior and the selection of energy-efficient products (Gao, Wang, Li, & Li, 2017; P. Zhu & Lin, 2022).
Numerous studies have examined residential energy-saving behaviors (ESB), primarily focusing on understanding micro-level individual behavioral choices. These studies can be categorized based on three key aspects: the object of the study, the theoretical models applied, and the investigation of factors impacting ESB. In terms of research objects, studies have focused on the ESB of urban residents(Agarwal, Sing, & Sultana, 2022; Belaïd & Joumni, 2020; Y. Ma & Liu, 2023b; Orset, 2021; Ru, Wang, & Yan, 2018) with some studies investigating ESB of rural residents (L. Li, Jin, Zhang, Qiu, & Liu, 2023; X. W. Ma, Wang, Lan, Li, & Zou, 2022; Yu et al., 2017; Xueyan Zhao, Cheng, Zhao, Jiang, & Xue, 2019). Additionally, there is a growing interest in studying specific groups in unique contexts, such as (Q. C. Wang, Ren, Liu, Chang, & Zuo, 2023), who explored the drivers of ESB among hotel guests using the extended theory of planned behavior (TPB), (Dixon, Deline, McComas, Chambliss, & Hoffmann, 2015; Tverskoi et al., 2021; Xie et al., 2021) examining ESB in the workplace, (H. Li, Wang, & Zhang, 2023) investigating the impact of social interaction on ESB among college school students, and various studies focusing on college school students (Du & Pan, 2021; Kurokawa et al., 2023; Lin & Yang, 2022; van den Broek, Walker, & Klöckner, 2019; B. Wang et al., 2021). This study explores the influencing factors of ESB among Chinese college school students, contributing to the growing body of knowledge.