Environmental Science and Pollution Research

https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-13946-y

RESEARCH ARTICLE

How do environmental values impact green product purchase

intention? The moderating role of green trust
Guangxia Li 1 & Lifeng Yang 1 & Baojie Zhang 2 & Xiaoxuan Li 1 & Feiyu Chen 3

Received: 10 February 2021 / Accepted: 12 April 2021

# The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2021

Abstract
Environmental values are key factors influencing consumers’ purchase intentions and improving consumers’ willingness to buy
green products is crucial for the sustainable development of ecological environments. Based on environmental values and green
product trust, the present study classified environmental values into egoistic, altruistic, and biospheric values and discussed the
influence mechanisms of environmental values on green product purchase intention. On this basis, the study verified the
mediating role of environmental concern and the moderating role of green trust on the relationship between environmental
concern and green product purchase intention. The research results revealed that (1) altruistic and biospheric values had a
significant positive impact on green product purchase intention, while egoistic values had a negative impact on green product
purchase intention; (2) environmental concern had a partial mediating effect on the relationship between environmental values
and green product purchase intention; and (3) green trust had a positive moderating effect on the relationship between environ-
mental concern and green product purchase intention. The present study expanded on the existing research on green product
purchase intention driven by values, and the conclusions provided theoretical guidance for green marketing by enterprises and the
establishment of customers’ trust in the green attributes of products.

Keywords Environmental values . Environmental concern . Green trust . Green products . Purchase intention

Introduction conservation (such as energy and water conservation), low pollu-

tion, low toxicity, and are recyclable (Sun et al. 2018). Product
With the emerging trend of environmental protection, enterprises purchase intention includes the various motives that influence the
expect to attract consumers through green or environmental pro- purchasing behavior of consumers and can predict the actual pur-
tection attributes of products. However, the real value of green chasing behavior. Green product purchase intention refers to con-
production can only be realized by transforming the environmental sumers’ tendency to buy products with the best environmental
protection demands into consumers’ purchase intentions (Silva characteristics rather than the usual ones (Majid and Elahe
et al. 2021). Green products are characterized by resource 2017), which also comprises various motivations generated by
behaviors. Therefore, purchasing intention is a key factor influenc-
Responsible Editor: Nicholas Apergis ing the prediction of green purchasing behaviors (Choi and
Johnson 2019). Previous studies have revealed that green product
* Lifeng Yang purchase intention is positively correlated with green advertising
200607035@fynu.edu.cn skepticism (Luo et al. 2020), low perceived availability (Vermeir
* Baojie Zhang and Verbeke 2006), and individual attitudes (Ramayah et al. 2010)
19210501@stu.fynu.edu.cn and is negatively correlated with green brand positioning (Suki
2016), environmental awareness and attitude, subjective norms,
1
School of Economics, Fuyang Normal University, Fuyang 236037, perceived behavioral control (Tonglet et al. 2004), and willingness
China to sacrifice for the environment (Rahman and Reynolds 2016). In
2
School of Business, Fuyang Normal University, Fuyang 236037, the face of increasing serious environmental problems, research
China regarding the factors influencing green product purchase intention
3
School of Economics and Management, China University of Mining is not only beneficial for environmental protection but also pro-
and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China motes green marketing.

Research shows that 50–60% of consumers cared for the
environment; however, their positive attitude towards the en-
vironment did not promote green product purchase intention
(Weisstein et al. 2014). Consumers encounter various obsta-
cles when buying green products, such as lack of environmen-
tal awareness, negative perception, distrust, high product
prices, and low practicality (Bonini and Oppenheim 2008).
If environmental awareness is the principal orientation of
green product purchase, in fact, it is to measure whether con-
sumer values have characteristics associated with environ-
mental orientation from the perspective of values (Mainieri
et al. 1997). A few researchers have demonstrated that envi-
ronmental values are associated with recycling behavior
(Dunlap et al. 1983) and the willingness of individuals to take
action to protect the environment (Stern and Dietz 1994).
Environmental values, which are directly associated with
green consumption, refer to the values of affirmative or sup-
portive behaviors directly aimed at environmental protection
and environmental obligations (McMillan et al. 2004).
Therefore, environmental values have a significant impact
on the purchase intention of green products. A previous study
investigated the purchase intention of green products among
consumers and established that values were the key factors
influencing purchasing decisions (Chekima et al. 2015).
Furthermore, studies have revealed that certain values, espe-
cially those associated with environmental quality and person-
al growth, exhibit a weak positive correlation with pro-
environmental behavior, as well as other intermediate ele-
ments such as attitude (Neuman 1986). A few studies have
investigated the direct impacts of environmental values on
green product purchase intention. However, more attention
should be paid to the effect of environmental values on the
improvement of green product purchase intention, with envi-
ronmental concern as the primary focus.
According to the theory of planned behavior (Ajzen 1991),
attitude, etc., initially influences behavioral intention and ulti-
mately influences the behavior. However, environmental con-
cern is a representative variable of environmental attitudes, which
refers to the extent to which people are aware of environmental
problems and support solutions to the problems (Dunlap and
Jones 2002). Environmental concern is determined by individual
core value orientations (Stern et al. 1995b), while consumers’
concern for the environment influences the purchasing behavior
of environmentally friendly products (Balderjahn 1988; Roberts
and Bacon 1997). Consumers with a high level of environmental
concern have a high willingness to buy green products (Kim and
Choi 2005). Therefore, environmental concern may influence the
relationship between environmental values and purchase inten-
tion of green products. Moreover, green trust is a key factor
influencing consumer behavior, and products are endowed with
green characteristics; that is, the products belong to trust (Laufer
2003). However, a review of the existing studies with regard to
factors influencing the purchasing intention of green products
Environ Sci Pollut Res
reveals that only a few studies have investigated the role of
psychological factors (motivation and beliefs) influencing con-
sumer behavior from the perspective of values. For example, few
studies have considered the impact of green information on the
relationship between environmental values and green purchase
intention, and the establishment of a reliable trust relationship
with green products can effectively promote the purchase of
green products. Otherwise, realizing a change in the consumers’
attitudes from caring for the environment to their green product
purchase intention is a challenge. A previous study revealed that
consumers considered buying green products depending on their
degree of confidence in the products (Goh and Balaji 2016; Wei
et al. 2017); the willingness of consumers to buy green products
is enhanced when they have greater trust in the products. Based
on previous findings, the present study incorporates the role of
consumers’ motivation (environmental concern) and their beliefs
in enterprise environmental performance (green trust) into green
product purchase intention to enrich the existing research.
The purpose of the present study was to explore the final
consumer’s choice of green products in developing econo-
mies. To be specific, the study intended to expand on existing
relevant studies on environmental values and green consump-
tion based on the following three aspects: (1) analyze the
direct impacts of egoistic, altruistic, and ecological values on
purchasing intention of green products and the mechanism
influencing the trend; (2) determine whether environmental
concern performs an intermediary role between the three
values and the purchase intention of green products; and (3)
incorporate green trust into the research framework, compre-
hensively discuss the boundary conditions under which envi-
ronmental concern plays a role in the purchase intention of
green products, and reveal its moderating effect on the rela-
tionship between environmental concern and the purchase in-
tention of green products. The present study explored the im-
pact of consumers’ environmental values on their purchase
intention, which enriches and expands the value theory. The
research conclusions provided theoretical support for the de-
velopment of marketing strategies for enterprises and facilitat-
ed formulation of more appropriate marketing strategies for
consumers dominated by different types of values.
Theoretical basis and research hypotheses
Environmental values and green product purchase intention
Values refer to the belief that people hold onto ideal behav-
ioral tendencies or an ideal final state (Feather 1995). A value
is a persistent belief in the importance of goals set by people,
which influences personal cognitive system and guides peo-
ple’s specific behaviors (Schwartz and Sagiv 1995). Values
are the primary determinants of consumer demand, consump-
tion attitude, and consumption behavior (Homer and Kahle
1988). Values can explain the tendency of individuals to
Environ Sci Pollut Res
exhibit a range of environment-related behaviors (Baum and
Gross 2017), which can effectively enhance the willingness of
an individual to take action to protect the environment (Stern
and Dietz 1994). Therefore, values are a crucial variable in
understanding consumer behavior (Durgee et al. 1996). A
study regarding the relationship between values and con-
sumers’ purchase behavior revealed that consumers become
attached to and prefer products consistent with their values
and transformed the attachment and preference into actual
purchasing behavior (Grebitus et al. 2014; Kim 2005).
Values can directly or indirectly influence environmental pro-
tection behaviors based on concerns with regard to the conse-
quences of environmental degradation (Stern and Dietz 1994),
and they can explain activist and various passive environmen-
tal behaviors (such as consumer behavior, policy acceptance,
and environmental citizenship awareness) (Stern et al. 1995b).
Subsequently, environmental psychologists have put forward
values, specifically environmental values that are directly associat-
ed with environmental protection behaviors. Environmental values
are affirmative or supportive acts directed towards environmental
protection and environmental obligations (McMillan et al. 2004).
Stern and Dietz (1994) suggested three dimensions of environ-
mental values: egoistic, altruistic, and biospheric values. The ori-
entation of the three types of values is neither permanent nor
conflicting but is interrelated. Any of the three values may make
individuals pay attention to environmental issues under various
conditions. The present study discusses the direct impacts of three
types of values on green product purchase intention, which is an
in-depth study regarding the environmental aspect of values, and is
a valuable supplement to the study of value theory.
Egoistic values consider environmental protection from the
perspective of individual interests or the interests of individuals
concerned. Several authors believe that egoistic values oppose an
individual’s consideration of environmental justice and regard en-
vironmental protection as a public policy objective (Stern and
Dietz 1994). A study conducted by Schultz and Zelezny (1999)
on environmental values revealed that egoistic values centered on
personal interests had a negative impact on environmental behav-
ior. Altruistic values consider environmental protection from the
perspective of society as a whole. People act according to altruistic
values, which may be coupled with moral requirements such as the
golden rule, “doing to others what you would have them do to
you” (Dunlap and Liere 1977; Heberlein 1977). Hong et al. (2010)
observed that consumers with high levels of environmental values
exhibited higher satisfaction levels and willingness to purchase
fashion products with high environmental protection
characteristics. Torkar and Bogner (2019) evaluated the relation-
ship between environmental values and environmental protection
and established that altruistic values were significantly positively
correlated with nature protection, although weakly negatively cor-
related with nature utilization. Biospheric values maintain that the
natural environment has intrinsic values and rights, and humans
have no right to destroy the environment to satisfy their own needs.
Biospheric values have been demonstrated to be associated with
various preferences and intentions that are conducive to the envi-
ronment, including sustainable consumption (Thøgersen and
Ölander 2002), environmental behaviorism (Steg et al. 2011), en-
vironmental behavior (Schultz and Zelezny 1999), and the prefer-
ence for restaurants that provide organic food (Steg et al. 2014).
Werff et al. (2013) observed that individuals with high ecological-
oriented values were more likely to exhibit strong and continuous
environmental preference, environmental intention, and environ-
mental behavior. Moreover, biospheric values directly or indirectly
influence the development of individual eco-centric environmental
attitudes (Dietz et al. 1998). Green products have the characteris-
tics of resource conservation, low pollution, low toxicity, and re-
cyclability. Taking into account factors such as price, energy con-
sumption, and social effects, the varying environmental value ori-
entation of consumers will naturally influence their willingness to
buy green products.
Green product purchase intention refers to the tendency of
consumers to buy products with the best environmental char-
acteristics rather than the usual ones (Majid and Elahe 2017).
Prakash and Pathak (2017) demonstrated that the purchase
intention of environment-friendly packaging products was
significantly influenced by personal norms, attitudes, environ-
mental concerns, and willingness to pay for the products.
Several local and international researchers have investigated
the impact of environmental values on the willingness of res-
idents to buy green products. A few studies have revealed that
self-centered consumers have relatively low willingness to
buy green products (Mccarty and Shrum 2001), while con-
sumers with high levels of altruistic environmental values
have high willingness to purchase environmentally friendly
fashion products (Hong et al. 2010). In addition, Schultz and
Zelezny (1999) revealed that altruistic and biospheric values
had a positive impact on environmental protection, while ego-
istic values had a negative impact. Based on the literature
review, the present study explored the impact of the three
dimensions of environmental values on the purchase intention
of green products and proposed the first hypothesis:
H1a: consumers’ egoistic values have a negative impact
on green product purchase intention.
H1b: consumers’ altruistic values have a positive impact
on green product purchase intention.
H1c: consumers’ biospheric values have a positive im-
pact on green product purchase intention.
The mediating role of environmental concern
Environmental concern refers to the extent to which people
are aware of environmental problems and show support for
the efforts to solve them, or their willingness to make an effort
to solve the problems (Dunlap and Jones 2002). With the

improvement of people’s concern for the natural environment
globally (Jones and Dunlap 2010; Mohai et al. 2010), envi-
ronmental concern has become a key topic in environmental
and social science research. At the individual level, the theory
of planned behavior (Ajzen 1988; Ajzen 1991) and the model
of environment-friendly behavior (Hines et al. 1987) maintain
that environmental concern is a key internal factor that pro-
motes individual environmental protection behavior. At the
organizational level, the public’s general environmental con-
cern can effectively shape the atmosphere of social environ-
mental protection, which, in turn, influences the formulation
and implementation of environmental policies (Poortinga
et al. 2004). Researchers have explored various methods of
measuring environmental concern, such as the
“Environmental Attitude and Knowledge Scale” (Maloney
and Ward 1973), “New Environmental Paradigm (NEP)
Scale” (Dunlap and Liere 1978), and “New Ecological
Paradigm (NEP) Scale” (Dunlap et al. 2000). Among them,
the NEP scale proposed by Dunlap and Liere is considered to
be the most widespread measurement method (Stern et al.
1995a). Subsequently, Dunlap et al. revised the NEP scale in
2000 to enhance its validity and reliability in measuring envi-
ronmental concern. Over the last few years, several re-
searchers have adopted the NEP scale to measure people’s
environmental attitudes. For example, Halkos and Matsiori
(2015) used the NEP scale to evaluate people’s environmental
attitudes and motivations towards marine biodiversity
protection. Biasutti and Frate (2017) established and
verified a quantitative scale of Italian college students’
attitude towards sustainable development based on the
scale, specifically the Attitudes Towards Sustainable
Development (ASD) Scale.
The influence of values on behaviors is indirect, while var-
iables such as attitude have a mediating or buffering role be-
tween values and behaviors (Kahle 1980). The present study
explores environmental attitudes by exploring the psycholog-
ical reactions of consumers to the environment and analyzes
the direct impact of attitude on green purchase intention.
Environmental concern is associated with the basic values of
individuals (Stern et al. 1995b) and exhibits a positive corre-
lation with the purchase intention of green products (Maichum
et al. 2016). Consumers with a high degree of environmental
concern are more willing to buy green products and opt for a
green lifestyle (Teng and Ow 2014). Studies have revealed
that altruistic and biospheric values are positively correlated
with environmental concern, while egoistic values are nega-
tively correlated with environmental concern (Schultz and
Zelezny 1999). Kollmuss and Agyeman (2002) believe that
intrinsic motivation and relevant environmental attitudes can
promote positive environmental behaviors in individuals by
changing their environmental values. Reasoned action
(Fishbein and Ajzen 1977) and planned behavior (Ajzen
1991) theories argue that behavioral intention is influenced
Environ Sci Pollut Res
by three factors: behavioral attitude, subjective norm, and per-
ceived behavior control. Environmental concern is usually
conceptualized as a direct antecedent of environmental protec-
tion purchase intention when the theories are applied to the
field of environmental protection (Hartmann and Apaolaza-
Ibáñez 2012; Hedlund 2011; Koenig-Lewis et al. 2014;
Paladino and Ng 2013). The implication is that people with
a high level of environmental concern have a strong environ-
mental awareness. With the increase in consumers’ level of
environmental concern, consumers are more willing to under-
stand the environment and acquire knowledge regarding green
products, in turn, enhancing their green consumption behav-
ior. Consequently, the following hypothesis was proposed:
H2: environmental concern performs a mediating role on
the relationship between environmental values and green
product purchase intention.
The moderating role of green trust
Trust is willingness to rely on another party based on the
expectation of the other party’s ability, reliability, and kind-
ness (Ganesan 1994). Trust refers to the belief that the other
party’s words, deeds, or promises are reliable, and that they
perform their obligations in an exchange relationship
(Leonidou et al. 2015). Trust consists of three beliefs: integri-
ty, kindness, and competence (Blau 1964; Schurr and Ozanne
1985). Rousseau et al. (1998) maintained that trust was a
psychological state with an intention to accept vulnerability
based on the positive expectation of the behavior or intention
of another party, and that trust was a direct driving force of
consumers’ purchase intention. Green trust was first proposed
in green consumption. Chen (2010) defined green trust for the
first time as a belief and expectation for green products, and
the development of a tendency to depend on such products
based on the green and energy-saving properties.
Subsequently, the definition of green trust was supplemented
to include not only the energy-saving potential of green prod-
ucts but also the product itself, service, brand, reputation, etc.
(Chen and Chang 2013b). Numerous studies have revealed
that trust can regulate the relationship between buyers and
sellers, which, in turn, attracts customers’ higher perception
of loyalty to the company (Nguyen et al. 2013; Nuttavuthisit
and Thøgersen 2017; Ong et al. 2015). Chen and Chang
(2013a) conducted an empirical study of Taiwanese con-
sumers and concluded that green perceived value exerted a
positive effect on consumers’ green trust. Notably, trust is also
a key determinant of consumers’ future purchase intention
(Garbarino and Johnson 1999), and the varying degrees of
consumers’ green trust influence their green product purchase
intentions. In view of the research on green trust, the present
study demonstrates the boundary conditions of consumers’
Environ Sci Pollut Res
shift from environmental concern to purchase intention from a
more comprehensive perspective.
Previous research has revealed that green trust can promote
consumers’ green product purchase intentions (Gil and Jacob
2018; Peattie 2001) and repurchase intentions (Lam et al.
2016). Lee (2020) demonstrated that trust could reduce the
perceived risk of consumers, and a low degree of risk percep-
tion could further enhance consumers’ willingness to buy
green products, while trust increased consumers’ purchase
probability in the process of transaction execution.
Therefore, green trust exerts a positive impact on green prod-
uct purchase intention (Flavián et al. 2005). Furthermore, trust
forms the basis of buying and selling. Consumers’ willingness
to buy products is increased when consumers and sellers have
a reliable trading experience (Schlosser et al. 2006). With
regard to the relationship between green packaging design,
and consumers’ green trust and green brand attachment,
Yang and Zhao (2019) established that green trust could in-
crease consumers’ green brand attachment and subsequently
promote their green product purchase intentions. Finally,
green consumers will give priority to green products that have
the least impact on the environment when selecting products.
Such choice behavior is influenced by consumers’ trust in
green products. When consumers have greater trust in green
products, consumers who care for the environment will take
an initiative to contact green product suppliers to gain an in-
depth understanding of the products, establish appropriate en-
vironmental awareness, and subsequently promote green
product purchase. Therefore, consumers who care for the
environment and have built trust in green products are more
inclined to consider purchasing environmentally friendly
products for the sake of the environment and their own in-
terests. The present study maintains that green trust can
regulate the positive relationship between consumers’ envi-
ronmental concern and their purchase intention of green prod-
ucts effectively, which leads to the following hypothesis:
H3: green trust exerts a significant positive moderating
effect on the relationship between consumers’ environ-
mental concern and green product purchase intention.
Based on the literature review and hypotheses, our research
framework is illustrated in Fig. 1.
Fig. 1 The hypothesized model
Methods
Study population
The survey was conducted in Hunan, Anhui, Shanxi, and oth-
er regions. A total of 700 questionnaires were sent out to
participants and 652 were recovered, with a recovery rate of
93%. After eliminating incomplete or questionnaires with in-
accurate data, 577 valid questionnaires were obtained with an
effective recovery rate of 93.67%. The study population com-
prised 265 males (45.9%) and 312 females (54.1%). Sex dis-
tribution was balanced based on the statistical indicators.
More than half of the respondents (55.4%) were aged between
19 and 45 years with regard to age group, 25.5% of the re-
spondents were married, and 72.1% were unmarried. The pro-
portion of respondents with a bachelor’s degree or higher was
more than 52%. Based on occupation, the majority of the
respondents were owners or employees of private and self-
employed enterprises (41.6%) or students (31.9%). Only
18.4% of the respondents had an income above 5000
Chinese Yuan with reference to the income variable, suggest-
ing that the survey respondents were predominantly middle
and low income earners with higher education.
Variables and statistical tools
The present study considered four variables: environmental
values, environmental concern, green trust, and green product
purchase intention. The questionnaire scales were measured
using a five-point Likert scale: 5 denoted “very consistent”
and 1 denoted “very inconsistent.”
Environmental values
The present study referred to the classical scale of Stern et al.
Environmental values of the present study were evaluated
based on three dimensions: egoistic, altruistic, and biospheric
values, and comprised 13 items, including “we have the right
to change the natural environment to satisfy our needs,” “I am
willing to protect the environment and change my present way
of life,” “we should respect nature, humans, and the entire
biosphere to harmonious equals,” etc.

Environmental concern
The present study used the NEP scale (Dunlap et al. 2000) to
measure environmental concern, which is usually used to
evaluate people’s overall attitudes towards the environment.
The scale comprised 15 items, of which seven items were
reverse-coded. A five-point Likert scale was adopted to an-
swer questions with even numbers. The higher the score, the
higher the concern for the environment. Specific items such as
“Humanity is currently abusing and destroying the environ-
ment” and “If everything continues as it is presently, we will
soon suffer a serious environmental disaster” and so on.
Green trust
Referring to the green trust scale developed by Chen (2010),
the moderating variable, green trust, was evaluated from the
aspects of reliability, credibility, and honesty, including five
items, such as “use of new energy vehicles for environmental
protection is a reliable reputation,” “environmental advocates
and new energy vehicles are credible,” “new energy vehicles,
the attention to protect the environment in line with the expec-
tations,” etc.
Green product purchase intention
Based on existing literature, we used the purchase intention of
new energy vehicles to measure consumers’ green product
purchase intention, which considered three aspects: purchase
tendency, product preference, and emotional commitment.
The specific items were “I will consider buying new energy
vehicles rather than the traditional cars,” “I will give priority to
purchasing new energy vehicles the next time I have a choice
of buying a car,” and “I will take the initiative to recommend
friends and relatives of choice to buy new energy vehicles.”
In the present study, IBM SPSS Statistics 26.0 and Amos
23.0 software packages (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA)
were used to conduct data reliability and validity tests, corre-
lation analyses, etc., and hypothesis testing was conducted on
the data. Control variables included sex, age, marital status,
education level, occupation type, and monthly income level,
whereas the independent variables comprised environmental
values and environmental concern, with the mediation vari-
ables, respectively; green trust was considered a moderator
variable and green product purchase intention as a final result
variable. The mechanisms of action among the variables were
tested, and we finally subjected the results of the data to em-
pirical analyses.
Pre-investigation
The present study collected research data using question-
naires. A total of 200 pre-survey questionnaires were
Environ Sci Pollut Res
randomly distributed online, of which, 174 questionnaires
were returned, and 162 valid questionnaires were received.
The effective response rate was 81%. The reliability and va-
lidity of pre-survey questionnaires were assessed, and the
questionnaires were enhanced further based on the analyses
results to reflect the current situation of consumers in China
and designed the final questionnaires.
Results
Reliability and validity analyses
We used the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient to determine the
reliability of the questionnaires. The higher the Alpha coeffi-
cient, the higher the internal consistency. An alpha coefficient
above 0.7 indicated that the internal consistency of the ques-
tionnaire was satisfactory. The variables included in this study
were egoistic, altruistic, and biospheric values; environmental
concern; green trust; and green product purchase intention.
Alpha coefficients of the six variables were 0.765, 0.859,
0.917, 0.949, 0.924, and 0.791, respectively. All values were
higher than 0.7, with a minimum value 0.765 and a maximum
value of 0.949, suggesting that the reliability of the variables
included in the study was high, and that the responses were
basically accurate and reliable. A confirmatory factor analysis
was carried out on the core variables to calculate the values of
average variance extracted (AVE). The confirmatory factor
analysis results revealed that the factor loads for most of the
items satisfied the ideal standard (greater than 0.6), and certain
values were higher than 0.9. The AVE of each variable was
greater than 0.5, suggesting that the convergence validity of
each variable was satisfactory (Table 1), where χ2/df = 1.946
indicated that the model was acceptable; root mean square
error of approximation (RMSEA) = 0.041, which was less
than the recommended critical value of 0.08, implying
that the model fitted well. In addition, the goodness of
fit indices (IFI, CFI, TLI, NFI, and RFI) was all satis-
factory (Tables 1 and 2).
Table 1 Average variance extracted values of each variable and
combined reliability (N = 577)
Variables AVE CR Alpha
Egoistic values 0.531 0.772 0.765
Altruistic values 0.609 0.861 0.859
Biospheric values 0.689 0.917 0.917
Environmental concern 0.553 0.949 0.949
Green trust 0.573 0.870 0.871
Green product purchase intention 0.559 0.792 0.791
Environ Sci Pollut Res

Table 2 Overall fitting coefficient table Mediation model testing

χ /df
2
RMSEA IFI CFI TLI NFI RFI
Egoistic, altruistic, and biospheric values were consid-
1.946 0.041 0.964 0.964 0.961 0.929 0.922 ered independent variables, environmental concern as
mediating variable, and green product purchase intention
as the dependent variable. Hayes’ process was used to
test the mediating effect of environmental concern, and
Descriptive statistics and correlations
bootstrap method was used to test the significance of
the mediating effect.
After inputting data extracted from valid questionnaires into
the statistical analysis software, descriptive statistics analyses
of the measurement items were performed. Table 3 presents
Environmental concern, egoistic values, and green product
the means and standard deviations of the measured variables.
purchase intention
Correlation analyses were performed to determine the degree
of correlation between variables using SPSS 26.0. The corre-
The mediating effect of environmental concern on egoistic
lations between variables were analyzed using Pearson’s cor-
values and green product purchase intention is presented
relation coefficient. In statistics, the letter “r” represents the
in Table 4. The results revealed that egoistic values
correlation coefficient. A positive r value between −1 and 1
exerted a significant positive effect on green product pur-
indicates a positive correlation, whereas a negative r value
chase intention (B = 0.61, 95% confidence interval [CI] =
indicates a negative correlation. We tested the relationships
[−0.69, −0.54], standard error [SE] = 0.04, t = −15.81, P
among the four variables (environmental values, environmen-
< 0.001). Egoistic values exerted a significant positive
tal concern, green trust, and green product purchase intention)
effect on environmental concern (B = −0.47, 95% CI =
by performing correlation analyses. Correlation analyses were
[−0.53, −0.4], SE = 0.033, t = −14.23, P < 0.001), and
initially used to test the hypotheses proposed in the study and
environmental concern exerted a significant positive ef-
prepare data for subsequent regression analyses. The specific
fect on green product purchase intention (B = 0.53, 95%
analyses results were as follows:
CI = [0.44, 0.61], SE = 0.04, t =11.86, P < 0.001).
A significant positive correlation was observed between
Furthermore, the effect of egoistic value on green product
altruistic values and green product purchase intention, with a
purchase intention was significant (B = −0.37, 95% CI =
correlation coefficient, r = 0.681 (P < 0.01; Table 3). A sig-
[−0.45, −0.29], SE = 0.04, t = −9.07, P < 0.001).
nificant positive correlation was observed between biospheric
Therefore, environmental concern exerted a partial medi-
values and green product purchase intention, with r = 0.662 (P
ating effect on the relationship between egoistic values
< 0.01). Egoistic values and green product purchase intention
and green product purchase intention, which accounted
exhibited a significant negative correlation, with r = −0.587 (P
for 40.12% of the total effect. Bootstrap method was used
< 0.01). In addition, environmental concern was significantly
to test the significance of the mediating effect and the
correlated with green product purchase intention, and green
results revealed that the 95% CI of the mediating effect
trust was significantly correlated with green product purchase
was (−0.33, −0.18). Therefore, environmental concern
intention (P < 0.01; Table 3), which was consistent with the
exerted a significant mediating effect on the relationship
theoretical expectations and provides preliminary support for
between egoistic values and green product purchase inten-
the hypotheses.
tion (Tables 4 and 5).

Table 3 Descriptive statistics and

correlation analyses Variables M SD 1 2 3 4 5 6

Egoistic values 2.456 0.743

Altruistic values 3.827 0.840 −.578**
Biospheric values 3.950 0.921 −.584** .796**
Environmental concern 3.601 0.805 −.559** .729** .717**
Green trust 3.793 0.713 −.508** .560** .529** .466**
Green product purchase intention 3.649 0.842 −.587** .681** .662** .651** .825**

N = 577; scale reliabilities (coefficient alpha) are on the diagonal. All the scales ranged from 1 to 5
**
P < 0.01
 Environ Sci Pollut Res

Table 4 The mediating effect of environmental concern (independent variable: egoistic values)

Variable type Green product purchase intention Environmental concern

Model 1 Model 2 Model 3

B t B t B t

Control variable Gender 0.02 0.37 0.05 0.89 0.06 1.25

Age −0.01 −0.26 −0.03 −1.33 −0.05 −2.44*
Marriage −0.17 −2.79** −0.27 −4.13** −0.20 −3.60**
Education 0.01 0.45 0.06 2.33* 0.09 4.29**
Occupation 0.01 0.55 0.02 0.85 0.01 0.80
Monthly income −0.02 −1.01 −0.06 −2.24* −0.07 −2.98**
Independent variable Egoistic values −0.37 −9.07** −0.61 −15.81** −0.47 −14.23**
Mediating variable Environmental concern 0.53 11.86**
R2 0.50 0.38 0.38
F 72.09** 50.00** 50.46**

N = 577
*
P < 0.05
**
P < 0.01
***
P < 0.001

Environmental concern, altruistic values, and green product between altruistic values and green product purchase intention
purchase intention was significant (Tables 6 and 7).

The mediating effect of environmental concern on the relationship
between altruistic values and green product purchase intention is
presented in Table 6. The results revealed that altruistic values
exerted a significant positive impact on green product purchase
intention (B = 0.67, 95% CI = [0.60, 0.74], SE = 0.03, t = 19.59, P
< 0.001). Altruistic values exerted a significant positive impact on
environmental concern (B = 0.58, 95% CI = [0.53, 0.64], SE =
0.03, t = 21.56, P < 0.001); environmental concern exerted a
significant positive impact on green product purchase intention
(B = 0.39, 95% CI = [0.29, 0.49], SE = 0.05, t = 7.71, P <
0.001), and altruistic values exerted a significant impact on green
product purchase intention (B = 0.44, 95% CI = [0.36, 0.53], SE =
0.04, t = 10.10, P < 0.001). Therefore, environmental concern
exerted a mediating effect on the relationship between altruistic
values and green product purchase intention, which accounted for
33.87% of the total effect. The bootstrap method was used to test
the significance of the mediation effect and the results revealed that
the 95% CI of the mediation effect was (0.15, 0.32). Therefore, the
mediation effect of environmental concern on the relationship
Environmental concern, biospheric values, and green product
purchase intention
The mediating effect of environmental concern on the rela-
tionship between biospheric values and green product pur-
chase intention is presented in Table 8. The results revealed
that biospheric values exerted a significant positive impact on
green product purchase intention (B = 0.63, 95% CI = [0.57,
0.70], SE = 0.03, t = 18.84, P < 0.001). Biospheric values
exerted a significant positive effect on environmental concern
(B = 0.55, 95% CI = [0.50, 0.60], SE = 0.03, t = 20.79, P <
0.001); environmental concern exerted a significant positive
impact on green product purchase intention (B = 0.42, 95% CI
= [0.32, 0.52], SE = 0.05, t = 8.31, P < 0.001). Similarly, the
impact of biospheric values on green product purchase inten-
tion was significant (B = 0.40, 95% CI = [0.32, 0.49], SE =
0.04, t = 9.57, P < 0.001). Therefore, environmental concern
exerted a partial mediating effect on the relationship between
biospheric values and green product purchase intention, which

Table 5 A breakdown of total,

direct, and mediating effects Effect Boot SE Boot LLCI Boot ULCI Effect proportion

Mediating effect −0.25 0.04 −0.33 −0.18 40.12%

Direct effect −0.37 0.05 −0.47 −0.26 59.88%
Total effect −0.61 0.05 −0.70 −0.52
Environ Sci Pollut Res

Table 6 The mediating effect of

environmental concern Variable type Green product purchase intention Environmental
(independent variable: altruistic concern
values)
Model 1 Model 2 Model 3

B t B t B t

Control variable Sex −0.02 −0.43 −0.02 −0.45 −0.01 −0.13

Age 0.02 0.68 0.01 0.46 −0.01 −0.62
Marriage −0.07 −1.26 −0.09 −1.42 −0.03 −0.71
Education −0.01 −0.35 0.01 0.33 0.04 2.17*
Occupation 0.00 −0.08 0.00 −0.19 −0.01 −0.39
Monthly income −0.02 −0.76 −0.03 −1.36 −0.04 −2.04*
Independent variable Altruistic values 0.44 10.09** 0.67 19.59* 0.58 21.56**
Mediating variable Environmental concern 0.39 7.71**
R2 0.52 0.47 0.54
F 76.38** 71.46** 95.29**

N = 577
*
P < 0.05
*
P < 0.01
***
P < 0.001

accounted for 36.31% of the total effect. The bootstrap meth-
od was used to test the significance of the mediation effect and
the results revealed that the 95% CI of the mediation effect
was (0.15, 0.31). Therefore, the mediation effect of environ-
mental concern on biospheric values and green product pur-
chase intention was significant (Tables 8 and 9).
Moderating effect analysis
We established a regression model to test for the moderating
effect of green trust on the relationship between environmen-
tal concern and green product purchase intention. To avoid the
collinearity problem caused by a high correlation between the
independent variable and interaction terms, the moderating,
intermediate, and dependent variables were initially central-
ized, and the interaction terms were subsequently calculated.
Hierarchical regression analyses were performed to deter-
mine the moderating effect of green trust on the relationship
between environmental concern and green product purchase
intention. After inclusion of the adjusted variables, green trust
exerted a stronger explanatory effect on green product pur-
chase intention. The results of the hierarchical regression anal-
yses are presented in Table 10. Model 1 is a regression model
of the effect of control variables on green product purchase
intention; model 2 is a regression model of control variables,
environmental concern, and regulatory variables of green trust
on green product purchase intention; model 3 is a regression
model of control variables, environmental concern, green
trust, and the interaction between environmental concern and
green trust as the independent variable. The analyses results
revealed that the regression coefficient of the interaction terms
between environmental concern and green trust was 0.06, and
the regression result was significant (P < 0.05), suggesting
that green trust exerted a significant positive regulatory effect
on the relationship between environmental concern and green
product purchase intention, which verified the third
hypothesis.
Discussion and implications
Conclusion and theoretical contributions
The present study was based on the three dimensions of envi-
ronmental values (egoistic, altruistic, and biospheric values).
According to previous research findings, attitude exerts a

Table 7 A breakdown of total,

direct, and mediating effects Effect Boot SE Boot LLCI Boot ULCI Effect proportion

Mediating effect 0.23 0.04 0.15 0.32 33.87%

Direct effect 0.44 0.06 0.33 0.55 66.13%
Total effect 0.67 0.04 0.59 0.75
 Environ Sci Pollut Res

Table 8 The mediating effect of

environmental concern Variable type Green product purchase intention Environmental
(independent variable: biospheric concern
values)
Model 1 Model 2 Model 3

B t B t B t

Control variable Sex −0.03 −0.54 −0.08 −0.62 −0.01 −0.33

Age 0.00 0.14 −0.01 −0.36 −0.03 −1.49
Marriage −0.07 −1.19 −0.08 −1.33 −0.03 −0.61
Education −0.02 −0.84 −0.01 −0.35 0.03 1.36
Occupation −0.03 −1.59 −0.05 −2.47* −0.04 −2.90*
Monthly income −0.02 −0.67 −0.03 −1.28 −0.04 −1.94
Independent variable Biospheric values 0.40 9.57** 0.63 18.84** 0.55 20.79**
Mediating variable Environmental concern 0.42 8.31**
R2 0.51 0.45 0.52
F 74.14** 66.88** 89.67**

N = 577
*
P < 0.05
**
P < 0.01
***
P < 0.001

buffering effect on the impact of environmental values on
environmental behavior. Therefore, the present study selected
environmental concern as an intermediate variable. In addi-
tion, green trust was introduced to determine whether it has a
moderating effect on the relationship between environmental
concern and green product purchase intention. The results
revealed that: first, altruistic and biospheric values increased
green product purchase intention, while egoistic values de-
creased green product purchase intention, which is consistent
with the findings of previous studies (Schultz and Zelezny
1999). Second, environmental concern exerted a partial medi-
ating effect on egoistic, altruistic, and biospheric values, in
addition to green product purchase intention. Egoistic, altruis-
tic, and biospheric values could directly influence green prod-
uct purchase intention and partially influence green purchase
behavior through the mediation of environmental concern,
which is consistent with the value, attitude, and behavior mod-
el of consumers (Homer and Kahle 1988; Shim and Eastlick
1998). Third, green trust exerted a positive moderating effect
on environmental concern and green product purchase inten-
tion. When green trust was high, environmental concern en-
hanced the promotion effect of green product purchase inten-
tion, and the results supported our research hypotheses.
The theoretical contributions of the present study are em-
bodied in the following aspects:
(1) Enriching and expanding the value theory. The present
study investigated the factors influencing green product
purchase intention from the perspective of values, which
enriches theoretical research regarding environmental
values.
(2) Comprehensive evaluation of the relationship between en-
vironmental attitude and green consumption intention. In
the present study, environmental concern was introduced
as a mediating variable, and the results of the study dem-
onstrated that attitude exerted a positive impact on green
purchase intention. Research on environmental attitudes
enhanced our understanding of the psychological reactions

Table 9 A breakdown of total,

direct, and mediating effects Effect Boot SE Boot LLCI Boot ULCI Effect proportion

Mediating effect 0.230 0.041 0.154 0.311 36.31%

Direct effect 0.404 0.055 0.299 0.512 63.69%
Total effect 0.635 0.040 0.558 0.711

Based on the results of the analyses, environmental concern exhibits a partial mediating role on the relationship
between egoistic, altruistic, and biospheric values, and green product purchase intention, which verified the first
hypothesis
Environ Sci Pollut Res

Table 10 Moderation effect analyses results

Variable type Green product purchase intention

Model 1 Model 2 Model 3

Control variable Sex 0.037 0.912 0.004 0.173 0.001 0.026

Age −0.086 −1.837 0.000 0.012 0.000 −0.009
Marriage −0.187 −4.214 −0.019 −0.812 −0.016 −0.704
Education 0.175 4.087 0.024 1.086 0.022 1.004
Occupation 0.064 1.254 0.030 1.151 0.025 0.954
Monthly income −0.150 −3.287 −0.022 −0.952 −0.022 −0.939
Independent variable Environmental concern 0.321 13.306 0.335 13.631
Moderator Green trust 0.665 29.348 0.685 28.799
Interactive item Environmental concern × 0.060 2.645
green trust
R2 0.109 0.774 0.777
Readjusted R2 0.100 0.771 0.773
F 11.620** 243.480** 219.489**

N = 577
*
P < 0.05
**
P < 0.01
***
P < 0.001

of individuals and groups to the environment, which facil-
itated in-depth and specific research on attitude.
(3) Active evaluation of the moderating effect of green trust
on the relationship between environmental concern and
green product purchase intention. The study revealed
that the relationship between environmental concern
and green product purchase intention was significantly
positively influenced by green trust. The finding provid-
ed a more comprehensive perspective in understanding
the relationship between environmental care and green
purchase. Furthermore, studying the moderating effect of
green trust enriched environmental values and green pur-
chase intention and provided a foundation for subsequent
research.
Management implications
The relevant research results of the present study have a prac-
tical guiding significance associated with the green marketing
practice of governments and enterprises, which are primarily
reflected in the following.
Enterprises should have a dialectical view and make rea-
sonable use of consumer environmental values. Values are
key factors influencing consumer decision making. In partic-
ular, consumers who hold altruistic and biospheric values will
consider the interests of the society as a whole and the natural
environment. Such consumers have a higher willingness to
buy green products to protect the environment. Therefore,
enterprises should actively take advantage of the promoting
effect of altruistic and biospheric values on the purchase in-
tention of green products, provide corresponding customer
services to consumers with different values, and enhance the
overall service level. The relevant administrative departments
should promote education and publicity campaigns associated
with green consumption intentions, cultivate public opinions
and appropriate values to promote green consumption among
residents, and actively strengthen guidance of the consump-
tion goals, consumption modes, consumption consciousness,
and consumption value orientations among consumers to cul-
tivate environmental values characterized by rationality,
health, and civilization. In addition, businesses and organiza-
tions should focus on providing a continuous flow of real
environmental information and emphasize how their products
conform to consumer values, which could be achieved by
carrying out attractive and informative advertising activities
on social media platforms to enhance consumers' attachment
to environment-related green products. Such strategies could
promote the purchasing of green products.
Similarly, environmental values will promote green product
purchase intention through environmental concern. Consumer
behavior will become more environmentally responsible when
attention is increased, and consumers will change their purchas-
ing behavior by buying green products or lowering the overall
consumption level. Therefore, enterprises should make maxi-
mum use of consumers' awareness towards caring for the

environment to promote the purchase of green products.
Specifically, enterprises should actively respond to the continu-
ous efforts of governments to strengthen publicity campaigns
and environmental education and awareness, actively organize,
and carry out relevant activities advocating for green consump-
tion, such as discouraging table waste and excessive express
packaging to enhance environmental protection awareness
among consumers and the ability to focus on cultivating a social
atmosphere of green consumption, in addition to encouraging the
people to constantly internalize and enhance their sense of envi-
ronmental protection identity.
Finally, green trust is a key factor influencing consumers’
green purchase intention. The results revealed that, when
green trust was high, environmental concern enhanced the
promotion effect of green product purchase intention.
Generally, consumers’ awareness of environmental protection
has been enhanced with the deterioration of the living envi-
ronment; numerous enterprises in the name of environmental
protection have emerged to increase sales and some enter-
prises even sell “greenwashing” products, making consumers
raise doubts on green products advertised by enterprises be-
fore the purchase intention. In this regard, even if consumers
care for the environment, some consumers will still believe
that the enterprise is providing authentic green products, rather
than the “greenwashing” behavior of the enterprise to truly
promote the green purchase intention of consumers.
Therefore, it is imperative to establish consumers’ green trust
in green marketing. Enterprises should take into account the
effects of energy-saving characteristics, indicators, and corre-
sponding publicity information of green products on fostering
green trust between enterprises and customers, and whether
the factors can promote trust when marketing green products.
For example, if the energy-saving characteristics and advan-
tages of environmentally friendly products are not properly
reflected in the products, consumers may have a poor cogni-
tion and understanding of the energy-saving products
(Bjerregaard and Møller 2019; Park 2017). Therefore, enter-
prises should further enhance their certification systems of
environmental labels and green products, standardize the cer-
tification systems, strictly control the issuance of green certi-
fication marks, strengthen detection and supervision of green
products, crack down on the disclosure of false green and false
certifications, reduce information asymmetry between con-
sumers and manufacturers, and ensure the establishment of
safe and healthy green consumption markets.
Limitations and future research directions
The present study analyzed the factors influencing the pur-
chase intention of green products from the perspective of en-
vironmental values. However, the study had certain limita-
tions: (1) based on the perspective of buyers, we investigated
Environ Sci Pollut Res
the impact of consumers’ environmental values on the pur-
chase intention of green products without considering the pub-
licity of green products and the information symmetry be-
tween them. Future studies should take into account both en-
terprises and consumers to determine the influence mecha-
nisms of different values on green purchase intention; (2) there
are huge challenges in the cognition of green products in dif-
ferent industries at the macro level, and cognition of green
products has not been completely developed in all groups,
while the improvement of green cognition ability is a crucial
link in the implementation of green product purchase; and (3)
the scope of the present study was primarily based on a sum-
mary of previous studies. Generally, the questionnaires were
relatively reliable and valid. However, the cultural differences
among consumers, time, and other factors were not considered
when selecting certain items; therefore, the scope of the study
should be expanded to include such factors.
Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary
material available at https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-13946-y.
Acknowledgements We are very grateful to Professor Zhu for his valu-
able and constructive suggestions during my thesis work. We also thank
all the authors for their invaluable contributions.
Author contribution Conceptualization and formal analysis: Lifeng
Yang and Guangxia Li
Methodology: Guangxia Li and Baojie Zhang
Software analysis and the writing-original draft preparation: Lifeng
Yang
Validation: Lifeng Yang and Xiaoxuan Li
Investigation: Guangxia Li and Xiaoxuan Li
Writing-review and editing: Guangxia Li and Lifeng Yang
Supervision: Lifeng Yang
Project administration and funding acquisition: Lifeng Yang
All authors have read and agreed on the final version of the
manuscript.
Funding This research was funded by Anhui Provincial Philosophy and
Social Science Planning General Program, grant number AHSKY 2017 D70.
Data Availability All data generated or analyzed in this study are included
in the published article and supplementary information files.
Declarations
Ethics approval and consent to participate Not applicable.
Consent for publication Not applicable.
Conflict of interest The authors declare no competing interests.
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