Determinants of energy conservation intention: evidence from Malaysian universities

Abstract

Fostering energy conservation behavior is an important component of moving towards a sustainable energy future. This study aims to identify the key determinants predicting energy conservation intention in a university setting. The theory of planned behavior is adopted as the theoretical framework to investigate the underlying determinants of energy conservation intention using structural equation modeling analysis. A total of 2,000 students from the five leading public universities in Malaysia were used as the sample. The theory of planned behavior constructs was found to explain 87% of the variance in Malaysian university students’ intention to conserve energy. The results of the structural equation analysis revealed that attitude demonstrates the strongest relationship with energy conservation intention, followed by subjective norm and perceived behavioral control. The results have implications for university management’s utility policy development and for the design of a more focused and specific scheme to foster effective energy conservation behavior. Additionally, the behavioral, normative, and control beliefs identified in the study provide information for interventions to target the specific beliefs relevant to the targeted population. The implications of the present study and recommendations for future research are discussed.