Drivers of Carbon Credit Adoption among Low-Cost Airline Passengers in Thailand: A PLS-SEM Study of Consumer Attitudes, Perceived Value, and Behavioral Intention

Abstract

This study investigates the key drivers of consumer adoption of carbon credits in the low-cost airline context in Thailand. Drawing on consumer behavior and sustainable marketing perspectives, the study examines how psychological, social, and economic factors shape passengers’ attitudes, perceived value, and behavioral intention toward carbon offset programs. A quantitative survey of 500 low-cost airline passengers in Thailand was conducted. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was employed to test the proposed model linking environmental awareness, climate change concern, perceived environmental responsibility, trust in carbon credit programs, perceived effectiveness, social norms, and price sensitivity to attitude, perceived value, and behavioral intention. The findings indicate that environmental awareness, climate change concern, perceived environmental responsibility, trust in carbon credit programs, perceived effectiveness, and social norms positively influence consumer attitudes toward carbon credit adoption, while price sensitivity negatively affects attitude formation. Attitude significantly enhances perceived value, and both attitude and perceived value strongly predict consumers’ intention to adopt carbon credits when purchasing low-cost airline tickets. This study relies on cross-sectional self-reported data from low-cost airline passengers in Thailand, which may limit causal inference and generalizability to other airline segments or national contexts. The results provide actionable insights for airline managers and marketers. Airlines should integrate carbon offset options into the ticketing process, enhance transparency and trust in carbon credit programs, communicate tangible environmental impacts, and design affordable pricing or bundled offers to increase perceived value among price-sensitive consumers.