The relationship between environmental knowledge and environmental behavior among university students in Guangxi, China: The mediating effects of environmental risk perception and environmental attitude

Promoting pro-environmental behavior among university students is of significant importance in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals , particularly quality education and responsible consumption and production. However, the internal mechanisms by which environmental knowledge translates into pro-environmental behavior remain insufficiently understood, with limited studies conducted in the context of Guangxi, China. Based on the protection motivation theory (PMT) and a survey of 812 university students in Guangxi, this study examines the chain-mediating mechanism through which environmental knowledge influences pro-environmental behavior via environmental risk perception and environmental attitude.The study used survey questionnaires, employing standardized scales to assess environmental knowledge, risk perception, environmental attitude, and pro-environmental behavior. The following facts are revealed via structural equation modeling (SEM):Environmental risk perception (β = 0.084, p < 0.001) and environmental attitude (β = -0.062, p < 0.001) fully mediated the relationship between environmental knowledge and pro-environmental behavior. In addition, a significant chain-mediating effect was observed: environmental knowledge influences risk perception, which in turn shapes environmental attitude, ultimately leading to pro-environmental behavior (β = 0.048, p < 0.001).The findings indicate that environmental knowledge alone is insufficient to drive behavioral change; it is crucial to simultaneously strengthen risk perception and cultivate positive environmental attitudes. The "knowledge–perception–attitude–behavior" intervention framework proposed in this study offers empirical evidence for environmental education in universities in developing countries and has significant practical implications for advancing the SDGs.