Bridging intentions and behavior: Understanding residents’ pro-environmental behavior formation

This study explores the determinants of pro-environmental behavior (PB) in Pakistan, a country facing escalating environmental challenges, with the aim of understanding how psychological constructs and governance-related perceptions influence sustainable behavioral outcomes. By integrating the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) with Sustainable Governance Theory (SGT), the research seeks to provide a more comprehensive explanation of individual-level environmental action in a collectivist society. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with a sample of 700 residents, and structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to examine the relationships between attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, perceived government incentives, pro-environmental intentions (INT), and actual behavior. The results show that attitudes, norms, and behavioral control significantly enhance pro-environmental intentions, which positively predict behavior. However, perceived government incentives exhibit a counterintuitive effect, directly reducing PB (β = -0.29, p < 0.01) and weakening the intention-behavior relationship (β = -0.12, p < 0.01), suggesting a crowding-out effect on intrinsic motivation. Moreover, a notable intention-behavior gap (Δ = 0.27, p < 0.001) indicates that positive intentions do not always translate into action. These findings underscore the need for policymakers to move beyond transactional incentive models and design culturally resonant interventions that reinforce intrinsic values, community engagement, and long-term commitment to environmental sustainability.