Poster #149 - Education and Green Future: Evidence from Pro-environmental Behaviors in China

• In Event: Saturday Poster Luncheon

Abstract

This study investigates the causal impact of educational attainment on individuals' pro-environmental behaviors in China's public and private domains. Despite China's significant educational progress and environmental commitments, the non-monetary benefits of education in fostering sustainable behavior remain understudied. Using the Compulsory Education Law as an instrumental variable and drawing on Value-Belief-Norm theory, we analyze how education influences pro-environmental behaviors through direct mechanisms (environmental knowledge and awareness) and indirect mechanisms (information access and socioeconomic status). Results show that each additional year of schooling increases public-sphere pro-environmental behaviors by 10.5% and private-sphere behaviors by 8.7%. These findings remain robust across alternative specifications, including different instrumental variables, age ranges, and geographical fixed effects. Further analysis reveals stronger educational impacts on pro-environmental behaviors, particularly among rural residents, low-income groups, and populations in environmentally challenged regions. Our findings contribute to understanding education's non-monetary environmental returns while offering insights for developing countries balancing economic growth with climate commitments under the Paris Agreement.

Author

• Sipei XU, Peking University
  Presenting Author