Determining Consumers' Ecological Footprint Awareness Within the Scope of SDG 12: a Study on University Students

Objective: The aim of the study is to determine the level of knowledge and awareness of university students about ecological footprint within the scope of SDG 12. Theoretical Framework: Ecological footprint, which has an important place in environmental sustainability and protection of natural resources, is an indicator that measures the impact of individuals on natural resources. In the related literature, it is emphasized that individuals' knowledge and awareness of ecological footprint is one of the main factors affecting their environmental attitudes and behaviors. Therefore, increasing awareness of ecological footprint will contribute to the development of environmental awareness and the adoption of sustainable lifestyles. Method: An ecological footprint scale consisting of five dimensions: food, transportation and housing, energy, waste and water consumption was used. Data were collected from 314 university students through an online questionnaire using Google Form. With the SPSS 20 program, Independent Samples T-Test and ANOVA tests were applied to determine whether the ecological footprint knowledge and awareness levels of the students differed according to gender and year of birth. Results and Discussion: As a result of the analyzes, the sub-dimensions with the highest ecological footprint awareness were “Water Consumption” and “Wastes”. The dimension with the lowest awareness is the “Food” sub-dimension. As a result of the independent samples t-test, women's awareness was higher than men's for all dimensions. According to the birth years of the students, there was a significant difference only for the transportation and accommodation sub-dimension. The ecological footprint awareness of those born in 1999-1990 is higher than those born in 1989-1980. Research Implications: The findings of this study will enable the university to evaluate the effectiveness of environmental education programs. In this context, various strategies can be developed to increase students' knowledge and awareness of ecological footprint. In the future, conducting future studies with more students in different universities can provide broad generalizations on this issue. Originality/Value: The results of the study will provide an important basis for the development of future educational policies and awareness-raising strategies in the field of environmental sustainability. In this respect, the research is valuable not only for the academic literature but also for providing practical suggestions for promoting environmentally friendly behaviors.