HALDER P, PIETARINEN J, HAVU-NUUTINEN S, PELKONEN P, CHANG C-Y, PROKOP P, USAK M. 2012. Knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes as determinants
of youth’s intentions to use bioenergy – a cross-national perspective. International Journal of Green Energy. In Press.
Abstract
Development of modern bioenergy
sector is an important step towards meeting societal demand for reducing CO2
emissions and supplying eco-friendly energy. Young
students are the future decision-makers and they will play an important role
towards transforming the present fossil fuel driven society into a renewable
energy based society. The study aimed to explain young students’
intentions to use bioenergy by considering their knowledge perceptions, and
attitudes related to bioenergy in Finland,
Taiwan, Turkey, and Slovakia. Data
for this study came from a previous survey in these countries among 15-year-old
1903 school students. This study with the
help of Principal Component Analysis revealed the dimensions of the students’
perceptions of and attitudes related to bioenergy. One of the dimensions
‘pro-environmental intention’ was used as the dependent variable in the
Multiple Regression Analyses. Results indicated that students’
intentions to use bioenergy were mostly guided by their perceptions of the socio-environmental
aspects related to bioenergy. Individual level decision-making such as communicating
and learning more about bioenergy was also important; however, with a low
impact value. Results also suggested that the 'critical-environmental'
dimension had only minor influence on the students' intentions to use
bioenergy. Students’ level of bioenergy-knowledge especially those with a
relatively higher level appeared to have a strong impact on their intentions to
use bioenergy. Young students should be facilitated to become aware of
bioenergy in order to influence their intentions to use it in the future.
Keywords: Bioenergy; Perceptions; Attitudes; Knowledge; Intentions to use; Youth
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