Student’s Willingness to Change a Pathway to Carbon Neutrality

Abstract

To lower human-induced carbon dioxide emissions in the atmosphere, the world must aim toward a carbon-neutral future to successfully combat climate change. The research aimed to investigate students’ willingness to change their attitude as a pathway to achieving carbon neutrality. An online survey was created using the JISC tool to examine students at the University of Salford's desire to change their behaviour to meet a carbon neutrality objective. Overall, 122 responses were received from the respondents and a non-parametric statistical approach was used to analyse the data. The Spearman’s rho correlation coefficient of respondent’s familiarity level with climate change and their willingness to change was found to be moderate negative and statistically significant at 0.001 level. Out of 122 respondents who completed the study survey, 30 (24.6%) of them said that they first learned about climate change in school, Internet and television sources came second on sources utilised for information. In addition, 93 (76.2%) of the respondents were ready to give up certain individual benefits to reduce CO2 emissions. Carbon neutrality seems like an ambitious goal for policymakers to attain; though people are willing to alter their lifestyles to reduce CO2 emissions in the areas of energy consumption, food waste, and transportation. However, they are not willing to go beyond if doing so will cost them more; people need to be made more aware of the issue and adopt a pattern to reduce wasteful lifestyles to reduce their carbon footprint, and it will require true political and widespread social commitment.