ABSTRACT

The rising temperature and unsustainable environmental conditions have shown that environmental issues pose critical threats to the ecosystem and human well-being in Pakistan. Irresponsible human behavior further exacerbates these environmental conditions. The present study was designed to understand the current state of students’ behavior, such as waste management practices, product consumption, energy consumption, water usage, and transport choices that shape the environment. Several published works demonstrate that environmental degradation results from the overuse/unsustainability of resources, whereas sustainable use promotes environmental sustainability. The main objective of this study was to understand the current state of students’ behavior toward the environment, while also examining the national and international environmental policy with special reference to environmental behavior. This study employed a mixed-methods approach to analyze data. For quantitative analysis, structured questionnaires were administered to collect data from different university students, which were subsequently analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation, and t-tests. A policy review analysis was conducted as the qualitative component to see how environmental behavior is integrated into environmental policy and what we can adopt from other international policies. According to the research, students have positive environmental concerns and attitudes. However, their behavior is largely influenced by their surroundings. Notably, Perceived Behavioral Control (PBC) plays a positive role in shaping their environmental behavior. So, the government and policymakers need to integrate environmental behavior into policy by focusing on social norms, especially PBC. However, Policy review analysis also reveals that many countries initiate environmental policies to integrate environmental behavior, but few implement them, especially with education/awareness efforts. Compared to international best practices, Pakistan has taken initial steps to incorporate behavioral aspects into policies, but it also lacks critical elements such as behavioral incentives, digital engagement tools, localized campaigns, and community-driven monitoring systems. So, Pakistan’s environmental policy does not adequately incorporate environmental behaviors. Therefore, it is also recommended that Pakistan’s environmental policies be strengthened through systematic integration of behavioral science, aligning with global standards to promote sustainable behavior.