Environmental intentions and attitudes and their influence on pro-environmental behavior in engineering students and practicing engineers

This study addresses the relationship between human activities and climate change, emphasizing the role of environmental education as a tool to mitigate environmental damage. While environmental education is a prominent research topic globally, it remains limited in Mexico due to insufficient guiding documents. The research introduces a structural equation model (SEM) examining environmental intention (EBI), environmental attitudes (EA), private pro-environmental behaviors (PPEB), and public pro-environmental behaviors (PPC) among engineering students and professionals in the Mexican maquiladora industry. With 1449 questionnaire responses from Ciudad Juárez, the study validates six hypotheses. Findings reveal that EBI influences EA and PPEB, while high EBI levels positively affect EA, PPEB, and PPC. The study suggests that fostering environmental intentions in educational and industrial settings leads to increased pro-environmental attitudes and behaviors. Recommendations include promoting individual actions among students and engineers through educational programs and incentives to cultivate a pro-environmental culture.