Navigating the green gap: the role of identity alignment motivation in shaping sustainable consumption behavior

This study examines how environmental awareness, social norms, and identity alignment motivation influence sustainable consumption behavior among Generation Z students in Central Java. It explores the “green gap” between intention and actual behavior, focusing on identity alignment motivation as a mediator. Despite heightened environmental awareness, a significant gap exists between Gen Z’s intention to consume sustainably and their actual behavior due to conflicting personal and social identities. The novelty of this study lies in introducing identity alignment motivation as a mediating factor, which has not been fully explored in prior research. Data from 238 students across several Central Java universities were collected using purposive sampling and analyzed with SmartPLS. The results show that both environmental awareness and social norms significantly influence sustainable consumption behavior, with identity alignment motivation playing a strong mediating role. The study underscores the importance of identity alignment in bridging the gap between awareness and sustainable behavior.