Gauging college student’s acceptance level of green hostel buildings on campus based on their pro-environmental behaviour

Abstract The current climate crisis requires urgent action, and sustainable buildings represent an important strategy for reducing the environmental impacts of human activities. Green buildings are designed to operate in an environmentally responsible and resource-efficient manner throughout their lifecycles, thereby reducing energy consumption and waste generation. Given that buildings and their supply chains account for a substantial share of global energy, water, and material consumption, as well as greenhouse gas emissions, understanding stakeholder acceptance of sustainable infrastructure is increasingly important. This study examines college-age students’ environmental awareness, pro-environmental behavior, and willingness to support sustainable hostel buildings within higher education institutions. A quantitative, cross-sectional survey was conducted among 372 students from selected higher education institutions in India. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire that measured constructs such as social norms, personal norms, environmental awareness, perceived behavioral control, environmental values, attitudes towards pro-environmental behavior, intention to act, and pro-environmental behavior. The relationships among these constructs were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). The analysis examined the mediating role of intention to act and the moderating influence of education within the proposed conceptual framework. This study provides methodological insights into applying PLS-SEM to examine pro-environmental behavior in educational settings and offers practical implications for universities seeking to promote sustainable campus infrastructure and environmentally responsible student behavior.