Research on the Influencing Factors of College Students’ Willingness-to-Pay for Carbon Offsets in the Context of Climate Change

Changyuan Li, Xin Yang (), Hong Wei, Zheneng Hu and Zhuoya Zhang
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Changyuan Li: College of Soil and Water Conservation, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China
Xin Yang: College of Humanities and Law, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China
Hong Wei: Office of the President, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China
Zheneng Hu: School of Economics, Yunnan University, Kunming 650500, China
Zhuoya Zhang: College of Soil and Water Conservation, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 6, 1-18

Abstract: Integrating the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and the norm activation model (NAM), this study investigated the formation mechanism of university students’ willingness-to-pay (WTP) for carbon offsets under climate change. Through a survey of 2728 students across 28 universities in Yunnan Province, China, we developed an extended TPB-NAM framework incorporating carbon offset cognition (COC), climate change hazard perception (CCHP), and climate change awareness (CCA). Key findings revealed the following. (1) The integrated model explained 74.8% of WTP variance (R 2 = 0.748), with behavioral attitude (β = 0.467, p < 0.001), subjective norms (β = 0.297, p < 0.001), and COC (β = 0.087, p < 0.001) emerging as primary direct predictors. (2) PN exerted the strongest indirect effect via ATP (β = 0.223, p < 0.001), while full mediation occurred between AC and WTP through ATP/PN. (3) Counterintuitively, CCHP demonstrated significant negative impacts (β = −0.027, p < 0.01), revealing nonlinear risk perception–behavior relationships. This research pioneers the application of TPB-NAM synthesis in carbon offset studies, proposing a tripartite intervention framework (“value identity–social norms–cognitive drive”) for campus carbon neutrality policies. The results advance voluntary carbon market mechanisms through theoretical integration and contextualized behavioral insights.

Keywords: theory of planned behavior (TPB); norm activation model (NAM); carbon offsets willingness-to-pay (WTP); structural equation modeling (SEM); Yunnan higher education (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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