Publication Type
Journal Article
Book Title/Conference/Journal
Resources, Conservation and Recycling
Year
6-2025
Abstract
The food sector represents one of the largest contributors to global climate change, making it urgent for the public to transform their food consumption behavior. However, food consumption behaviors that can facilitate carbon reduction, and how to classify these behaviors from the perspective of behavioral science, have not been deeply explored. This study pioneers a novel categorization of carbon-mitigating food consumption behaviors based on an A-S-I framework (i.e., “Avoid” food loss and waste, “Shift” to low-carbon alternatives, and “Improve” dietary structure). Such a classification not only encompasses the full spectrum of emission-altering behaviors but also enables identification of common determinants across behavioral categories. Integrating existing behavioral theories and literature on the influencing factors of these behaviors, we systematically construct three models containing both constraints and motivating factors underpinning “A-S-I” behaviors. Our analysis reveals substantial variations in influencing factors across behavioral types. Notably, we found that factors such as face motivation, knowledge, and perceived behavioral control outweigh traditional psychological constructs (such as attitudes and norms) in predicting these behaviors among Chinese consumers. Based on these findings, we propose targeted measures to further enhance the feasibility of behavioral changes. These measures could effectively facilitate low-carbon dietary transformations, potentially generating dual benefits for climate change mitigation and food safety.
Keywords
A-S-I, Carbon emission, Food consumption behavior, Sustainable consumption
Disciplines
Asian Studies | Behavioral Economics | Environmental Sciences
Subject(s)
Applied or Integration/Application Scholarship
ISSN/ISBN
0921-3449
Publisher
Elsevier
DOI
10.1016/j.resconrec.2025.108301
Version
acceptedVersion
Language
eng
Copyright Holder
Authors
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Format
application/PDF
Citation
YANG, Xuan; ZOU, Jiaxin; GAO, Jingyao; and YANG, Shu.
Reducing carbon emissions through sustainable food consumption: Applying an A-S-I framework on Beijing residents. (2025). Resources, Conservation and Recycling. 219, 1.
Available at: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/studentpub/17
Additional URL
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2025.108301