Objectives This study aims to examine the mediating effect of climate change problem perception on the impact of emotions toward climate change on climate change responses, prospects, and practice competency.
Methods For this purpose, a portion of the data used in the “Study on Carbon Neutrality Promotion Strategies Led by Youth”conducted by the National Youth Policy Institute (NYPI)was extracted. A total of 1,067 high school students were analyzed using SPSS 23.0 and AMOS 20.0. The relationships among the study variables were analyzed using Pearson’s correlation, and their effects were examined through structural equation modeling (SEM). The mediating variable was tested for effectiveness using the bootstrapping method.
Results The key findings of the study are as follows. First, there is a statistically significant relationship between climate change responses, prospects, and practice competency and emotions toward climate change as well as perception of the climate change problem. Second, emotions toward climate change were found to have a positive impact on climate change problem perception and practice competency, while having a negative impact on climate change responses and prospects. Additionally, climate change problem perception was found to have a positive impact on both practice competency and climate change responses and prospects. Climate change problem perception was found to partially mediate the impact of emotions toward climate change on climate change responses, prospects, and practice competency.
Conclusions The results of the study confirm the importance of climate change concern and is significant that it examined the level of youth's understanding on climate change and explore ways to reinforce it.