Enhancing environmental behavior among university students: the mediating roles of environmental and intelligence

Abstract The environment has become a crucial issue in addressing the climate crisis, with universities plaing a key role by positioning students as agents of change. However, the success of university environmental programs is often limited by a lack of student engagement. This study explores the relationship between environmental knowledge and behavior, mediated by environmental attitudes and environmental intelligence. Using an exploratory quantitative approach and the Theory of Planned Behavior, 385 students from the top five universities in Central Java were surveyed. The results show that environmental attitudes significantly mediate the relationship between knowledge and behavior, with a mediationeffect size of 0.45 (p < 0.01). Additionally, environmental intelligence mediates the relationship between knowledge and attitudes (0.35, p < 0.01). These findings underscore the role of attitudes and intelligence in shaping students’ environmental behavior, highlighting the need for holistic and sustainable environmental education programs in universities to foster positive environmental actions.