Influence mechanisms of the National Pollution Source Census on public participation and environmental consciousness in China. (20th August 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Chang, Dunhu; Gao, Donghui; Wang, Xin; Men, Xu; Zhang, Peiyuan; Zhang, Zhansheng
• Is Part Of: Journal of cleaner production. Volume 363(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-08-20
• Subjects: Public participation -- Environmental consciousness -- Mediating effect -- Structural equation modeling -- Logistic regression; EID environmental information disclosure -- NGOs non-governmental organizations -- NPSC National Pollution Source Census -- PP public participation -- EC environmental consciousness -- TPB theory of planned behavior -- PITI Pollutant Information Transparency Index -- SEM structural equation modeling -- DID difference-in-differences -- INPSC implementation of the NPSC -- Sk skewness -- Ku kurtosis -- CA Cronbach's alpha -- CR composite reliability -- AVE average variance extraction -- MI modification index -- CI confidence interval; Factory and trade waste -- Management -- Periodicals; Manufactures -- Environmental aspects -- Periodicals; Déchets industriels -- Gestion -- Périodiques; Usines -- Aspect de l'environnement -- Périodiques; 628.5
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.132397
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0959-6526

Abstract

Abstract: The National Pollution Source Census has been conducted in China to strengthen environmental supervision and management while mobilizing the public to participate in census work. Public participation usually plays an important role in environmental governance, but its development in China is relatively inadequate at present. However, the implementation of the National Pollution Source Census has created favorable conditions for promoting public participation. To explore the influence of the National Pollution Source Census on public participation, we conducted a nationwide questionnaire-based survey, recording the public's perceptions and behaviors related to environmental issues following the census. Structural equation modeling and logistic regression were conducted to analyze the data. The main findings indicate the following. First, the implementation of the National Pollution Source Census has had a strong positive impact on environmental consciousness, which, in turn, has had a positive effect on public participation. Environmental consciousness plays a fully mediating role in the relationship between the implementation of the National Pollution Source Census and public participation. Second, among the measurement indicators of the implementation of the National Pollution Source Census, environmental information disclosure, the extent of the popularization of environmental pollution knowledge, media-based publicizing of the significance of pollution source censuses, and the legislation-driven establishment of channels for public participation have a significant positive impact on environmental consciousness and public participation. Third, demographic characteristics such as the age and income of the public further affect their environmental consciousness and participation in environmental governance activities. Graphical abstract: Image 1 Highlights: Implementing the NPSC strongly improves public's environmental consciousness (EC). EC positively affects public participation (PP) in environmental governance. China's NPSC has a strong positive impact on PP via EC's mediating effect. Info disclosure promotes public EC and motivates PP in environmental governance. Public's age and income significantly affect their EC and PP in environmental governance.