Exploring drivers of behavioral willingness to use clean energy to reduce environmental emissions in rural China: An extension of the UTAUT2 model

In the context of the dual-carbon target, the adoption of clean energy in rural areas is an important basis for achieving effective carbon reduction in rural areas. On the basis of the Unified Theory of Technology Acceptance and Use (UTAUT2), this study uses structural equation modeling to investigate the influencing factors of rural clean energy adoption behavior. The results are as follows: (1) Both the expected effect of rural clean energy's adoption and adoption behavior are positively correlated with intention to adopt rural clean energy, whereas the rest are negatively correlated. The willingness to adopt clean energy has the greatest impact on clean energy adoption behavior in rural areas. (2) The expected effect of clean energy's adoption, subjective norms related to clean energy's adoption, facilitation of clean energy adoption support, and habits related to clean energy adoption have partial mediating effects on the impact of clean energy adoption intention. The reliability of clean energy's adoption has a full mediating effect on the impact of clean energy adoption intention. The perceived value of clean energy adoption has no significant mediating effect on the intention to adopt clean energy. (3) Age has a significant moderating effect on perceived value, related behaviors, and intention related to adopting clean energy; education level has no significant moderating effects on facilitation support or intention to adopt clean energy; and region has no significant moderating effects on facilitation support or adoption intention.