Divergent effects of environmental concern and risk perception on pro-environmental intention: an international study across 17 countries

Studies have demonstrated that pro-environmental behaviors vary across countries and are influenced by cultural values, environmental concerns (EC), and risk perception. Therefore, measures tailored to each country's culture must be implemented to effectively promote pro-environmental behaviors. This study analyzed the heterogeneity in the strength of the relationships among the constructs in each country. Using structural equation modeling to validate three hypotheses about constructs with respect to pro-environmental behaviors, this study investigated how EC and risk perception influenced pro-environmental intentions across 17 countries. It used the Environment IV dataset provided by the International Social Survey Program (ISSP, 2020). The results revealed that the influence of EC and risk perception on pro-environmental orientation differed from country to country, confirming the three hypotheses. This study offered a novel contribution to the literature as it uncovered the different mechanisms by which environmental knowledge influenced pro-environmental behavior compared with EC and risk perceptions. In addition, it quantitatively assessed how this effect differed across the 17 countries.