Understanding How Environmental Self-Identity, Perceived Risk, and Frugal Innovation Shape Low-Carbon Behavior

This study aims to investigate how environmental self-identity, perceived risk, and frugal innovation interact to shape low-carbon behavior among urban professionals in China. The primary objective is to examine the mediating role of perceived risk and the moderating influence of frugal innovation in the relationship between environmental self-identity and low-carbon behavior. Using a quantitative, cross-sectional research design, data were collected from 279 park and garden managers and urban planners in Changsha City through structured questionnaires adapted from validated scales. The data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) via the ADANCO software to assess direct, mediated, and moderated relationships among variables. The findings reveal that environmental self-identity significantly predicts low-carbon behavior, and this relationship is partially mediated by perceived risk. Moreover, frugal innovation strengthens the effect of environmental self-identity on low-carbon behavior, demonstrating that affordable, practical innovations enhance sustainable actions. The study contributes novel insights into how psychological and technological factors jointly influence sustainability practices within urban landscapes. It expands existing theories by integrating self-identity and innovation perspectives and provides practical implications for policymakers to promote sustainable behavior through risk communication and the diffusion of frugal, eco-friendly innovations.