Determinants of sustainable consumption behavior: the mediating role of behavioral intention

This study examines how cognitive, value-based, and social drivers shape sustainable consumption behavior among young consumers. Using survey data from 214 agricultural students in Indonesia and Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), the study investigates the roles of environmental knowledge, materialism, social influence, and promotion, with behavioral intention as a mediating mechanism. The results reveal that environmental knowledge significantly influences behavioral intention but does not directly affect behavior, indicating an intention–behavior gap. In contrast, materialism, social influence, and promotion directly affect sustainable consumption behaviour. Behavioral intention plays a central role but acts as a selective mediator, primarily linking knowledge to action. These findings suggest that sustainable consumption is shaped by multiple pathways rather than a single mechanism. The study contributes by offering a more integrated understanding of how different drivers translate into behaviour, particularly in the context of an emerging economy.