Moral and subjective norms as mediating factors in the relationship between environmental knowledge and positive attitudes toward green energy

This study presents a partial least squares structural equation model (PLS‐SEM) to examine the relationship between environmental knowledge (ENK) and environmental attitudes (ENA) toward green energy, considering moral norms (MON) and subjective norms (SUN) as mediating variables. The model was validated using 511 responses to a questionnaire from engineering students and active engineers in the maquiladora industry in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. The results show that environmental knowledge is positively associated with environmental attitudes toward green energy. However, this relationship is partially mediated by moral and subjective norms, indicating that the influence of knowledge on attitudes is strengthened when ethical obligations and perceived social expectations are taken into account. This finding highlights that environmental knowledge alone may be insufficient to foster favorable attitudes toward renewable energy unless normative mechanisms are also present. The significance of this research lies in empirically demonstrating the mediating role of moral and subjective norms in a technically and industrially oriented population. This context has received limited attention in prior studies. From a practical perspective, the findings suggest that educational and organizational initiatives aimed at promoting the adoption of green energy should simultaneously reinforce environmental knowledge and normative values to foster positive environmental attitudes effectively.