From Information to Action: Exploring the Mediating Effects of Environmental Attitude, Personal Responsibility, and Government Performance on Green Purchase Intentions

Understanding how environmental information provision (IP) translates into green purchase intention (GPI) is crucial for promoting sustainable consumption, particularly in rapidly developing urban contexts like Chinese megacities. While the influence of individual motivation is known, the interplay with perceived institutional factors remains less explored. This study investigates the pathways linking IP to GPI, specifically examining the mediating roles of environmental attitude (EA), personal responsibility (PR), and perceived government performance (PGP), guided by the Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills (IMB) model. Utilizing survey data from 4,966 residents (“Green Lifestyle Survey of Residents in Chinese Megacities”), structural equation modeling (SEM) and multi-group analysis tested the hypothesized relationships. Results confirm IP significantly boosts GPI both directly and indirectly. EA, PR, and PGP all function as significant mediators in this process. Notably, personal responsibility (PR) exerted the strongest mediating effect, highlighting its critical role. Furthermore, individual factors (EA, PR) did not significantly predict PGP, potentially reflecting cultural nuances where personal duty operates independently of institutional evaluation. Significant age and income differences also emerged, with PGP more influential for older individuals and PR resonating more with younger consumers. This research enhances the IMB framework by integrating institutional context (PGP) and reveals actionable, demographically-targeted insights for fostering GPI through appeals to either personal duty or governmental effectiveness.