Game Analysis on Energy-Saving Behavior of University Students Under the “Carbon Peaking and Carbon Neutrality” Goals

With the continuous increase in the number of university students and the improvement of living standards, energy waste in universities has become a significant challenge, hindering progress toward Carbon Peaking and Carbon Neutrality (CPCN) goals. As universities serve as the final educational stage before students enter society, effectively integrating disciplinary research with energy-saving education has become a crucial topic in today’s world. The evolutionary game analysis reveals that three key factors—the severity of resource waste, the reputational benefits from sustainable education, and the enhancement of students’ self-quality—significantly drive the game equilibrium toward a positive outcome. Conversely, university indifference to energy-saving education and high behavioral constraint costs for students lead the equilibrium toward a negative state. Based on this, this paper puts forward corresponding suggestions to promote the sustainable development of universities and help realize the CPCN goals. These suggestions are aimed at enhancing the importance of energy-saving education in universities, optimizing energy-saving management strategies and encouraging students to actively participate in energy-saving behavior, to provide practical reference for universities to promote social sustainable development.