نوع مقاله : مقاله انگلیسی برای ویژه‌نامه "تغییر اقلیم و صنعت بیمه"

نویسندگان

• Mohammad Amin Zandi ¹
• Mostafa Mansouri ²
• Mohammad Ehsan Zandi ³

¹ Assistant Professor, Department of Economic Planning and Development, Faculty of Economics, Allameh University

² Master& student in E-commerce Economics, Allameh Tabatabaei University, Tehran, Iran

³ PhD in science and technology policy, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

چکیده

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The emergence of environmental crises, manifested in the form of rapid climate change, global warming, and severe degradation of natural resources, has presented the global community with a major challenge in this era. The relentless and ever-increasing increase in industrial activities, coupled with urbanization and excessive consumerism, has led to a significant increase in greenhouse gas emissions. This has created existential threats to biodiversity, human health, and the overall quality of ecosystems. In this context, the importance of fostering pro-environmental behaviors has gone beyond traditional sectors and has placed a significant responsibility on the shoulders of the financial and insurance industries to promote sustainability. As a cornerstone of the modern economy, the insurance industry is in a unique and privileged position to mitigate environmental damage not only through risk coverage, but also through the careful design of green insurance. This innovative financial element incorporates sustainability criteria into product design, contractual obligations and investment policies, ultimately reducing harmful activities while actively promoting environmentally friendly projects. Despite the high potential of green insurance to reduce environmental pressures and improve environmental conditions, its market penetration in developing countries like Iran, which face acute challenges such as water scarcity and air pollution, among many others, remains limited. The findings suggest that although environmental awareness is increasing, it does not automatically translate into purchasing behavior. This indicates a gap between knowledge and practice. Consequently, this study aimed to provide a comprehensive explanation of the psychological and structural mechanisms influencing the willingness to purchase green insurance in Iran. This study closely examines the pivotal and interacting roles of environmental awareness, environmental concern, environmental attitude, and the critical factor of trust in insurance companies, and seeks to outline how these constructs shape consumer decision-making in a developing market.
METHODS To fully identify the determinants of green insurance adoption, this study carefully utilized a theoretical model based on the integration of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), the Knowledge-Attitude-Behavior (KAB) model, and the Environmental Values Framework. This combination allowed for the examination of direct and indirect paths linking cognitive, affective, and attitudinal constructs with behavioral intention. The study data were collected through a questionnaire distributed to citizens living in Iranian metropolitan areas. The final sample of this study included 397 valid and complete responses, which ensured the statistical power of the analysis. One of the features of the method used was the operationalization of the main constructs. Environmental concern was modeled as a second-order construct rooted in value-belief-norm theory; this construct includes three different dimensions: selfish concern, social-altruistic concern, and concern for the biosphere. Environmental attitudes were assessed to measure worldviews about the relationship between humans and nature.Trust in insurance companies was measured using a multidimensional scale that assesses perceptions of honesty, competence, and benevolence. Data analysis was performed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), a method chosen because of its efficiency in handling complex models with latent variables and predicting behavioral intentions.
FINDINGS: The results of structural equation modeling showed that the main hypotheses of the study were confirmed. Data analysis showed that environmental awareness acts as a cognitive motivator and has a positive and significant effect on the willingness to purchase green insurance. In this regard, this study showed that awareness primarily acts as a prerequisite that strengthens other psychological factors. Environmental concern, which includes selfish, social, and biosphere dimensions, has a significant positive effect and acts as a powerful emotional motivator. The more threats individuals perceive to themselves, society, or the biosphere, the greater their willingness to purchase green insurance. Environmental attitude also showed a positive effect, indicating that a pro-environmental worldview is a significant predictor of green financial behavior. The point is that this study showed that trust in insurance companies is a critical determinant and shows a significant positive effect on the willingness to purchase. Given the intangible nature of insurance and the novelty of green products, trust acts as a mechanism to reduce perceived risk and uncertainty. Furthermore, the analysis of control variables showed that socio-economic factors play a role: income and education levels, as well as previous experience with insurance services, have positive and significant effects on purchase intention. Conversely, demographic variables such as age and gender did not show a significant effect on the decision-making process.
CONCLUSION: The findings showed that expanding the green insurance market in Iran requires a multifaceted strategic approach, which goes beyond simple awareness campaigns Given that increasing environmental knowledge is essential and important, the results emphasize that this must be accompanied by efforts to foster deep emotional engagement and, most importantly, foster public trust in order to be effective. To reduce consumer skepticism, insurance providers must demonstrate their genuine commitment to sustainability through transparent methods and procedures. Furthermore, since higher income and education levels are correlated with purchase intent, initial marketing efforts should be tailored to these specific socio-economic demographics. Ultimately, cultivating a green insurance culture is not just about awareness and knowledge; it requires a comprehensive strategy that combines educational initiatives with value-based engagement and rebuilding institutional trust. This approach is essential to bridging the gap between environmental concerns and actual purchase behavior.

کلیدواژه‌ها

• Environmental insurance: Environmental knowledge: Insurance industry: Multidimensional biospheric concern: Sustainable consumer Behavior

موضوعات

• مطالعات اجتماعی بیمه

عنوان مقاله [English]

The Impact of Environmental Awareness on the Willingness to Purchase Green Insurance in Iran

نویسندگان [English]

• Mohammad Amin Zandi ¹
• Mostafa Mansouri ²
• Mohammad Ehsan Zandi ³

¹ Assistant Professor, Department of Economic Planning and Development, Faculty of Economics, Allameh University

² Master& student in E-commerce Economics, Allameh Tabatabaei University, Tehran, Iran

³ PhD in science and technology policy, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

چکیده [English]

The accelerating global environmental crisis has intensified the necessity of fostering sustainable behavioral patterns within the financial services sector, catalyzing the emergence of *green insurance* as a novel and strategic instrument in the developing world. This study situates itself within that paradigm, aiming to elucidate the cognitive and psychological determinants influencing the willingness of Iranian consumers to purchase green insurance products. In a context characterized by severe ecological challenges—ranging from air pollution to water scarcity and biodiversity deterioration—understanding the interplay of individual awareness, concern, attitudes, and institutional trust becomes imperative for advancing sustainable financial systems. Green insurance is both a mechanism of environmental stewardship and a tool of risk management, holding promise for reconciling ecological responsibility with economic prudence. Yet, despite global progress in sustainability discourse, adoption rates remain low in emerging markets where both environmental literacy and trust in institutions continue to evolve.

The research was grounded in three theoretical pillars—the *Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB)*, the *Knowledge-Attitude-Behavior (KAB)* model, and the *Environmental Values Framework (EVF)*—which together allow comprehensive examination of the linear and indirect paths among cognitive, affective, and intentional constructs. The study implemented a quantitative cross-sectional survey involving 397 systematically sampled participants representing diverse demographic backgrounds. Methodologically, each construct was operationalized through validated scales: *environmental awareness* through responses reflecting knowledge of environmental problems and their consequences; *environmental concern* through three subdimensions—egoistic, social-altruistic, and biospheric concern—capturing the multi-layered nature of ecological worry; and *environmental attitude* via the New Ecological Paradigm (NEP) scale, assessing broad beliefs regarding humanity’s relationship with nature. *Trust in insurance companies* was examined through perceived reliability, credibility, and integrity, forming the institutional dimension of the analysis. The dependent variable, willingness to purchase green insurance, was assessed via behavioral intention statements, while socioeconomic and experiential covariates—income, education, age, gender, and previous insurance engagement—were employed as controls.

Data analysis was performed using *Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM)*, a variance-based technique suitable for evaluating complex interdependent relationships and simultaneously assessing both measurement and structural components. The model demonstrated sound psychometric properties and strong fit indices, validating its theoretical robustness. Empirical results confirmed all principal hypotheses at high statistical significance. *Environmental awareness* positively affected purchase willingness, signifying the critical role of ecological knowledge in motivating sustainable insurance behavior. *Environmental concern*, conceptualized as a second-order construct integrating egoistic, altruistic, and biospheric elements, exerted similarly powerful effects; individuals emotionally invested in environmental issues displayed higher readiness to engage with green financial innovations. *Environmental attitude*, as measured through NEP, further strengthened this link, indicating that pro-ecological worldviews substantively shape consumer inclination toward sustainable insurance products.

Among the predictors, *trust in insurance institutions* emerged as the most decisive factor. This dimension revealed that perceived credibility and honesty of providers substantially condition consumer intentions, underscoring the essential role of institutional reputation as a catalyst for adoption. Complementary effects were found across control variables: *income* correlated positively with purchase intentions—indicating the relevance of economic feasibility—while *education* amplified acceptance of sustainability-oriented arguments, and *prior insurance experience* increased familiarity and confidence, thereby facilitating openness to green variants. Together, these patterns substantiated the integrated behavioral framework by revealing that purchasing intention results from multilayered cognitive and emotional processes rather than isolated rational evaluation.

The research conveys profound implications for both theory and practice. Conceptually, it validates that awareness, though essential, remains insufficient without corresponding emotional and attitudinal engagement. The combination of *environmental concern* and *ecological attitude* transforms awareness into behavioral readiness. Practically, the decisive influence of *institutional trust* reveals the foundational challenge facing Iranian insurers: credibility must be cultivated before green insurance can penetrate mainstream markets. The findings imply strategic recommendations: insurers should design *educational and awareness campaigns* that integrate emotional appeals connecting environmental degradation with personal and social well-being; they must innovate product designs tailored to domestic socioeconomic structures, ensuring accessibility and relevance. Transparent communication and corporate social responsibility initiatives are indispensable in rebuilding confidence among customers who are traditionally skeptical of insurance providers. Equally, partnerships with governmental and environmental organizations could enhance perceived legitimacy and reinforce collective trust.

In sum, this study contributes valuable empirical evidence to the burgeoning scholarship on *green finance* and sustainability behavior in developing economies. It advances an integrative model combining cognitive, affective, and institutional dimensions and empirically validates its explanatory power in the Iranian context—a domain hitherto underexplored. The findings indicate that the shift toward sustainable financial systems demands not merely informational elevation but structural reformation in trust and engagement mechanisms. Future research should deepen this exploration by examining the moderating influences of demographic and psychographic variables, validating behavioral outcomes beyond declared intentions through longitudinal or experimental designs, and incorporating social norms and peer-effect dynamics to capture collective behavioral diffusion. Such endeavors would enrich understanding of how environmentally oriented financial innovations evolve under variegated cultural and institutional conditions, progressively shaping the trajectory of sustainable insurance markets across developing societies.

کلیدواژه‌ها [English]

• Environmental Insurance
• Environmental Knowledge
• Insurance Industry
• Multidimensional Biospheric Concern
• Sustainable Consumer Behavior