Impact Factors in Chinese Construction Enterprises’ Carbon Emission-Reduction Intentions

Abstract

The reduction in carbon emissions in the construction industry plays an important role in the realization of the goal of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality, especially in China. Construction enterprises’ personnel’s intentions to reduce their carbon emissions are closely related to low-carbon behavior. However, the research on the impact factors of carbon emission-reduction intention (CERI) is still limited. In order to understand the factors that affect the intentions of construction enterprises’ personnel to reduce carbon emissions, and to put forward valuable suggestions for reducing construction enterprises’ carbon emissions, it is necessary to explore the impact factors in carbon emission-reduction intention through empirical tests. This study adopted the theory of planned behavior (TPB) based on the three impact factors of behavioral attitude (BA), subjective norms (SNs) and perceived behavioral control (PBC), introduced the two potential impact factors of moral obligation (MO) and government supervision (GS), and also uses structural equation modeling (SEM) to test the impact factors in construction enterprises’ personnel’s carbon emission-reduction intention. The results show that BA, MO and GS have a significant positive impact on carbon emission-reduction intention (CERI). Among them, BA plays an intermediary role between MO and CERI, and BA and MO play a chain intermediary role between GS and CERI. The research conclusions will help to provide a theoretical reference for governments and construction enterprises to implement carbon emission-reduction development strategies and policies.