Analysis of Chinese pupils’ intents in using bioenergy through the application of structural equation modeling approach

Abstract

The present study, based on the structural equation modeling approach and with the help of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), analyzed Chinese pupils' bioenergy related behavioral intentions. Total 453 high school students participated in the study from three Chinese cities. Two structural models were constructed – a standard TPB model with the constructs attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, and intention, and an extended TPB model with additional constructs of anthropocentric and biocentric beliefs. Result showed that the predictor attitude had positive and the strongest effect on the Chinese students' intents in using bioenergy. The effects of the other TPB predictors and the additional belief constructs were of insignificance. It is concluded that positive attitudes among the Chinese students related to bioenergy could influence their plans to adopt bioenergy in the future. Therefore, the Chinese educators and energy policy makers should consider these findings to improve students’ awareness and attitudes concerning bioenergy in China.

Introduction

During the last few years, several initiatives have emerged in the global arena concerning climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies (e.g., Paris Agreement, 2015), deployment of renewable energy technologies (e.g., Sustainable Energy for All, 2012), and implementation of sustainable development action plans (i.e., Sustainable Development Goals, 2015). The common aspect in these global programmes is that all of them have emphasized on the fast adoption of renewable energy systems that are acceptable to the public. In the past, public used to have a passive role in the formulation and implementation of energy policies, as energy policies were mainly structured to meet the energy demand (Fouquet, 2016). However, from the time when issues such as global warming, ozone layer destruction, exhaustion of fisheries and agricultural land, and loss of biodiversity became serious global concerns (see Oskamp, 2000a, Leiserowitz, 2007), public participation in environmental policy formulation and their acceptance of new energy policies including adoption of renewable energy technologies have become a subject of intense discussions among the scientific community, policy makers, and civil society organizations (Haggett, 2011; Huijts et al., 2012, Kinsella, 2004). There is an increasing realization among these groups that the current environmental and societal challenges related to the climate change and sustainable development are so complex that they cannot not be fully addressed by technological means only because the primary reasons of these challenges are deeply rooted in our present production and consumption behaviors (Leiserowitz et al., 2005, Sheth et al., 2011, Shove, 2010, Tukker et al., 2008). In this regard, Oskamp (2000b) stated that “achieving a sustainable society will require basic changes in everybody's behavior and in our basic values.” Therefore, to meet the pre-conditions of decentralized decision-making processes and embracing new responsibilities emerging both at the local and global levels, increasing public awareness of energy and other environmental issues has become an imperative.

Among different renewable energy sources, the use of bioenergy has received a significant momentum in many developed and developing countries (Halder et al., 2016). Nevertheless, the development of bioenergy has become embroiled in various controversies such as the rising food prices, increasing poverty, and expanding deforestation mainly in the tropics (see Delshad et al., 2010, Lunnan et al., 2008). It is reported in the studies that a general lack of awareness of renewable energy technologies exists among the public and in some instances, public also appear to oppose deployment of the modern bioenergy systems (see Amigun et al., 2011, Monroe and Oxarart, 2011, Stidham and Simon-Brown, 2011, Upham and Shackley, 2007). Despite this, there is also an instance where public appeared to be a part of the planning processes related to biofuels (Van de Velde et al., 2009). Young people such as school and university students appear to be both critical of and positive about the impacts of bioenergy on the environment and society (see Halder et al., 2010, Halder et al., 2012, Qu et al., 2011). Like other countries, public acceptance and support can be among the key factors for a successful implementation of the bioenergy programs in China. Therefore, it is necessary to study public perceptions and attitudes concerning bioenergy already at its initial stage of development in China as it could facilitate its implementation in the future. By understanding various stakeholders’ perceptions of and attitudes to bioenergy, it would be possible to identify the bottlenecks and the ways to remove them. It can be expected that an increasing public awareness of the modern bioenergy technologies and their potential contributions to mitigation of climate change as well as improving energy security can ultimately expand societal acceptance of bioenergy in China and elsewhere (Wang et al., 2016, Li et al., 2018).

China's dependence on imported fossil fuels has been increasing steadily over the last years, which has reached almost 65% in 2016 and is expected to jump to 80% by 2030 (Oilprice.com, 2017). Experts suggest that the major oil consuming sectors such as the transportation and chemical industry should increase the utilization of alternative energy sources including the biofuels (Qu et al., 2010). Issues related to the production of bioenergy have been debated widely in the Chinese media, academia, and political discourses due to the concerns over the national energy security and climate change impacts. In this context, Qu et al. (2016) have suggested that the surplus woody biomass available in China should be used for producing bioenergy in a sustainable way. However, public awareness of bioenergy is still very poor in China (Qu et al., 2010, Qu et al., 2011) and it seems that the implementation of the modern bioenergy systems will take a considerable time in the country. In addition, the Chinese government is yet to come up with a comprehensive policy on bioenergy by which to address the issues related to price mechanisms, tax incentives and supply of feedstock that are highly relevant for the development of a viable bioenergy industry in China (Liu et al., 2008).

The above discussions indicate that there is a need for further research on exploring the issues connected with the expansion of bioenergy in China from socio-psychological perspectives. In this context, it is apparent that wide-ranging societal changes are desired, and that education is one of the fundamental ways to drive towards those desired changes. The Article 6 and Article 12 of the Paris Climate Accord have urged the global community to enhance environmental education, training, public awareness and public participation as a means for capacity building to deal with the climate change (Paris Agreement, 2015). Towards that goal, the formal educational systems of schools in different countries constitute a significant context for promoting students' sustainable and holistic environmental awareness. According to the former United Nations General Secretary Ban Ki- Moon, “the world now has the largest generation of young people in history, and they are part of the first generation that can end poverty and the last that can avoid the worst impacts of climate change.” (United Nations, 2015). In this regard, Zografakis et al. (2008) appropriately suggest that by increasing young students’ awareness we could promote environmental citizenship among them particularly in the matters on energy consumption.

In recent years, many Chinese higher education institutions (HEIs) have started initiatives on sustainable development education and implemented various practical actions on their campuses focusing on conserving water and energy (Lo, 2015). In general, students from these institutions are found to be aware of sustainability related issues and they appear to understand the importance of conducting substantiality related education and research in the HEIs (Yuan and Zuo, 2013). In this regard, a study by Qu et al. (2011) investigated Chinese university students’ knowledge and attitudes regarding bioenergy and they found that the students were not positive about bioenergy when compared with other renewable energy sources. These studies have recommended increasing knowledge and positive attitudes regarding bioenergy and other sustainability related issues among the Chinese students through disseminating information and developing university level curricula. Xiong et al. (2013) have further suggested improving environmental education in all Chinese HEIs by the systematic assessment of the curricula and learning outcomes. However, Lo (2015) has indicated that the increasing governmental pressure and lack of financial resources are the two most important challenges against implementing sustainability related education in the Chinese HEIs.

In comparison with the HEIs, little information is available on the renewable energy related knowledge and attitudes among school students in China. In 2012, a program called ‘Sunshine Schools’ was initiated in Beijing, which aimed to install solar photovoltaics in public schools as well as educate the young generations about the importance of renewable energy consumption (The World Bank, 2012). Such initiatives are expected to rise in China in the future, and therefore it is important to understand the attitudes of young students towards renewable energy and the factors affecting their adoption of renewable energy technologies so that proper interventions strategies could be implemented in the future to enhance their pro-environmental behaviors (Ru et al., 2019). In this context, pro-environmental behavior can be understood as the behavior aiming at minimizing the negative impact of one's actions on the environment (Kollmuss and Agyeman, 2002, Steg and Vlek, 2009). The present study from this perspective aimed to explore Chinese students' intentions to use bioenergy by applying the framework of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), which is a widely adopted model in social psychology for predicting a variety of human behavioral intentions (Conner and Armitage, 1998).