The Mediating Role of CSR Perception Between Passengers’ Environmental Consciousness and Carbon Offsetting Attitudes: Environmental Sustainability in Civil Aviation

Abstract

Consciousness and attitudes toward carbon offsetting within the airline industry hold critical significance for advancing environmental sustainability. This study investigates the mediating role of CSR perception in the relationship between environmental consciousness and passenger attitudes toward airline carbon offsetting. Using an integrated analytical framework, the research examines how environmental consciousness shapes CSR perceptions and, in turn, influences attitudes toward voluntary carbon offsetting initiatives. The findings indicate that higher levels of environmental consciousness are associated with stronger CSR perceptions and more favorable attitudes toward carbon offsetting. Moreover, CSR perception emerges as a key intermediary mechanism through which environmental consciousness translates into supportive passenger attitudes. Overall, the results suggest that sustainability-oriented corporate practices complement individual environmental consciousness in shaping positive attitudes toward carbon offsetting. By simultaneously increasing environmental awareness and enhancing the visibility of corporate responsibility initiatives, airline companies may more effectively contribute to long-term sustainability goals and emissions reduction efforts. This study offers an original contribution by addressing environmental consciousness, CSR perception, and carbon offsetting attitudes within a unified conceptual model in the airline industry context.

Keywords

• sustainable aviation
• Environmental Consciousness
• Carbon Footprint Offsetting
• Corporate Social Responsibility
• Airline Companies.

Yolcuların Çevre Bilinci ve Karbon Dengeleme Tutumları Arasında Kurumsal Sosyal Sorumluluk Algısının Aracılık Rolü: Sivil Havacılıkta Çevresel Sürdürülebilirlik

Abstract

Havayolu endüstrisinde karbon dengelemesine yönelik bilinç ve tutumlar, çevresel sürdürülebilirliğin geliştirilmesi açısından kritik bir öneme sahiptir. Bu çalışma, çevresel bilinç ile yolcuların havayolu karbon dengelmesine yönelik tutumları arasındaki ilişkide KSS algısının aracı rolünü incelemektedir. Bütüncül bir analitik çerçeve kullanılarak, çevresel bilincin KSS algısını nasıl şekillendirdiği ve bunun gönüllü karbon dengeleme girişimlerine yönelik tutumları nasıl etkilediği ele alınmaktadır. Elde edilen bulgular, çevresel bilinç düzeyinin artmasının daha güçlü kurumsal sosyal sorumluluk algısı ve karbon dengelemesine yönelik daha olumlu tutumlarla ilişkili olduğunu göstermektedir. Ayrıca KSS algısının, çevresel bilincin yolcu tutumlarına yansımasında temel bir aracı mekanizma olduğu ortaya konulmaktadır. Genel olarak sonuçlar, havayolu işletmelerinin çevre odaklı stratejiler geliştirirken hem farkındalığı artıran hem de kurumsal sorumluluğu görünür kılan uygulamalara öncelik vermesinin, uzun vadeli sürdürülebilirlik hedefleri açısından etkili olabileceğine işaret etmektedir. Bu çalışma havayolu sektörü bağlamında çevresel bilinç, KSS algısı ve karbon dengeleme tutumlarını bütünleşik bir model çerçevesinde ele alarak literature Özgün bir katkı sunmaktadır.

Keywords

• sürdürülebilir havacılık
• çevre bilinci
• karbon ayakizi dengeleme tutumu
• kurumsal sosyal sorumluluk
• havayolu şirketleri

Ethical Statement

Bu çalışma için etik kurul onayı, İstanbul Aydın Üniversitesi Sosyal ve Beşeri Bilimler Etik Kurul Komisyonu’nun 18.07.2024 tarihli ve 2024/07 sayılı kararı ile alınmıştır (E-88083623-020-126084; 02.08.2024)

References

1. Afsar, B., Al‐Ghazali, B. M., Rehman, Z. U., and Umrani, W. A. (2020). The moderating effects of employee CSR motive attributions between CSR perceptions and voluntary pro‐environmental behavior. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 27(2), 769–785.
2. Ajzen, I. (1991). The Theory of Planned Behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 50(2), 179–211.
3. Ahmed, M., Zehou, S., Raza, S.A., Qureshi, M.A. and Yousufi, S. Q. (2020). Impact of CSR and environmental triggers on employee green behavior: The mediating effect of employee wellbeing. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 27, 2225–2239.
4. Bouwer, J., Wittkamp, N., and Saxon, S. (2021). Back to the Future? Airline Sector Poised for Change Post-COVID-19 (Vol. 2). New York, USA: McKinsey Pbc.
5. Cahan, S.F., Chen, C., Chen, L., and Nguyen, N.H. (2015). Corporate social responsibility and media coverage. Journal of Banking & Finance, 59, 409–422.
6. Cheema, S., Afsar, B., and Javed, F. (2020). Employees' corporate social responsibility perceptions and organizational citizenship behaviors for the environment: The mediating roles of organizational identification and environmental orientation fit. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 27, 9–21.
7. Değirmenci, B. and Aytekin, M. (2021). The relationship between employees' environmental commitment and environmentally friendly behaviors: The mediating role of corporate social responsibility perception. Balkan and Near East Journal of Social Sciences, 7(02), 25-38.
8. Değirmenci, B. (2020). Examining the relationship between environmental consciousness and environmental commitment in the context of demographic characteristics. Balkan and Near East Journal of Social Sciences, 6(4), 1-13.

9. Denton, G., Chi, O. H., and Gursoy, D. (2020). An examination of the gap between carbon offsetting attitudes and behaviors: Role of knowledge, credibility and trust. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 90(1), 1-10.
10. Dimitriou, D., and Karagkouni, A. (2022a). Airports’ sustainability strategy: Evaluation framework upon environmental consciousness. Frontiers in Sustainability, 1(1), 1-18.
11. Dimitriou, D., and Karagkouni, A. (2022b). Due diligence of transport infrastructure operators’ sustainability: A circular economy driven approach. Frontiers Sustainability, 3(1), 1-11.
12. Eljas, J. (2022). Analysis of sustainability reporting practices of the globalairline industry. Proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Tourism Research, 507-516.
13. Johansson, E. (2022). Analysis of sustainability reporting practices of the global airline industry. Proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Tourism Research, 507-516.
14. Farmaki, A. (2019). Corporate social responsibility in hotels: A stakeholder approach. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 31(6), 2297–2320.
15. Freeman, R. E. (1984). Strategic Management: A Stakeholder Approach. Boston: Pitman.
16. Frynas, J.G., and Yamahakii, C. (2016). Corporate social responsibility: Review and roadmap of theoretical perspectives. Business Ethics: A European Review, 25(3), 258–285.
17. Ge, Q., and Li, T. (2021). Corporate social responsibility and shareholder wealth: New insights from information spillovers. Financial Review, 1(1), 1-17.
18. Golob, U., and Kronegger, L. (2019). Environmental consciousness of european consumers: A segmentation-based study. Journal of Cleaner Production, 221, 1-9.
19. Gonçalves, V.K. (2017). Climate change and international civil aviation negotiations. Contexto Internacional, 39, 443-458.
20. Gürsoy İba, S., Bahadır Hocaoğlu, N., and Yalçın Cumhur, E. (2022). Çevre bilinci dinamikleri çevresel tutumda bir farklılık yaratır mı? Kırklareli Üniversitesi örneği. Ankara Üniversitesi SBF Dergisi, 77(4), 779-799.
21. Hawn, O., and Ioannou, I. (2016). Mind the gap: The interplay between external and internal actions in the case of corporate social responsibility. Strategic Management Journal, 37, 2569–2588.
22. Helmig, B., Spraul, K., and Ingenhoff, D. (2016). Under positive pressure: How stakeholder pressure affects corporate social responsibility implementation. Business & Society, 55(2), 151–187.
23. Hollenstein, L., and Wittmer, A. (2024). Support for green initiatives in aviation: A case study across American aviation consumers. Journal of the Air Transport Research Society. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2941198X24000319.
24. Huang, W., Li, F., Cui, S.-H., Li, F., Huang, L., and Lin, J.-Y. (2017). Carbon footprint and carbon emission reduction of urban buildings: A case in Xiamen City, China. Procedia Eng. 198, 1007–1017.
25. Hyun, J.K., and Son, J. (2021). Analyzing the environmental efficiency of global airlines by continent for sustainability. Sustainability, doi: 10.3390/SU13031571.
26. Jagroop, S., Sudhir, R., Abu, B., Abdul, H., and Piyush, G. (2022). Who should hold the baton of aviation sustainability? Social Responsibility Journal, 19(7), 1161-1177.
27. Kara, B. (2018). The relationship between individuals' environmental consciousness and sensitivity to the new ecological paradigm. International Journal of Social Sciences in Turkish Cultural Geography, 3(2), 17-29.
28. Karaca, Ş. (2013). Tüketicilerin yeşil ürünlere ilişkin tutumlarının incelenmesine yönelik bir araştırma. Ege Akademik Bakış, 13(1), 99-111.
29. Karakus, G. (2025). Environmental sustainability performance in aviation: An analysis based on stakeholders’ sustainability reports. Journal of Aviation, 9(3), 578–589. https://doi.org/10.30518/jav.1681077.
30. Keleş, Ö., Uzun, N., and Uzun, F. V. (2010). Öğretmen adaylarının çevre bilinci, çevresel tutum, düşünce ve davranışlarının doğa eğitimi projesine bağlı değişimi ve kalıcılığının değerlendirilmesi. Elektronik Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 9(32), 384-401.
31. Khalifa, R., Alherbawi, M., Elomri, A., and Al-Ansari, T., (2022). Alternative fuels’ blending model to facilitate the implementation of carbon offsetting and reduction scheme for international aviation. Fuel. Volume, 326, 124974.
32. Khattak, S. R., Nouman, M., Fayaz, M., Cismaș, L. M., Negruț, L., Negruț, C. V., and Salem, S. (2021). Corporate social responsibility and employee green behavior in the hospitality industry: A cross-country study. Sustainability, 13(19), 10534.
33. Kim, Y., Park, J., and Ryu, Y. (2024). Factors influencing air passengers’ intention to purchase voluntary carbon offsetting programs: The moderating role of environmental knowledge. Journal of Air Transport Management, 118, 102475.
34. Kim, H., and Son, J. (2021). Analyzing the environmental efficiency of global airlines by continent for sustainability. Sustainability, 13, 1-16.
35. Koçoğlu, Ç. M., and Aksoy, R. (2017). Kurumsal sosyal sorumluluk algısının tüketici temelli marka denkliği bileşenleri üzerindeki etkisinin yapısal eşitlik modellemesi ile analizi. Ekonomik ve Sosyal Araştırmalar Dergisi, 13(1), 115-140.
36. Koparan, E., and Çıtak, F. (2025). The impact of environmental sustainability on financial performance in airline companies based on legitimacy theory. Journal of Aviation, 9(2), 445–453. https://doi.org/10.30518/jav.1692375.
37. Kousar, S., Afzal, M., Ahmed, F., and Bojnec, Š. (2022). Environmental consciousness and air quality: The mediating role of environmental protective behaviors. Sustainability, 14(6), 1-20.
38. Larsen, H. N., and Hertwich, E. G. (2010). Implementing carbon-footprint-based calculation tools in municipal greenhouse gas inventories. Journal of Industrial Ecology, 14(6), 965-977.
39. Liu, Z., Deng, Z. He, G., Wang, H., Zhang, X., Lin, J., and Liang, X. (2022). Challenges and opportunities for carbon neutrality in China. Nature Reviews Earth and Environment, 3(2), 141-155.
40. Longi, J. S. (1989). Confirmatory Factor Analysis A Preface to Lisrel. London: Sage.
41. Luo, J. M., Huang, G. Q., and Lam, C. F. (2019). Barriers to the implementation of corporate social responsibility in gaming industry. Journal of Quality Assurance in Hospitality & Tourism, 20(5), 528–551.
42. Ma, F., Sha, A., Lin, R., Huang, Y., and Wang, C. (2016). Greenhouse gas emissions from asphalt pavement construction: A case study in China. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, 13, 351.
43. Mahama, A.J., and Iyer, S.S. (2023). Circular supply chain case studies in aviation sustainability in Handbook of Research on Designing Sustainable Supply Chains to Achieve a Circular Economy, (pp.351-376). IGI Global.
44. Manga, M., and Gümüş Akar, P. (2020). The relationship between economic growth, carbon emissions and human development: Selected mediterranean countries. Kahramanmaraş Sütçü İmam University Journal of Social Sciences, 17(1), 405-419.
45. Masouleh, S.A., Koochaksaraei, H.M., Saaedi, N., and Mousavian, S.I. (2013). Investigation on selected factors (demographic and psychological) on ecological conscious consumer behavior. Journal of Basic and Applied Scientific Research, 3(5), 622-630.
46. Mkumbachi, R.L., Astina, I.K., and Handoyo, B. (2020). Environmental consciousness and pro-environmental behavior: A case of university students in malang city. J. Pendidik. Geogr, 25, 161-169.
47. Moser, A.K. (2015). Thinking green, buying green drivers of pro-environmental purchasing behavior. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 32, 167-175.
48. Musova, Z., Musa, H., and Matiova, V. (2021). Environmentally responsible behaviour of consumers: Evidence from Slovakia. Economics and Sociology, 14(1), 178-198.
49. O’Connor, K., Fuellhart, K., and Kim, H. M. (2020). Economic influences on air transport in Vietnam 2006–2019. Journal of Transport Geography, 86, 1-20.
50. Orhan, G. (2021). The effects of airline strategies on environmental sustainability. Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, 93(8), 1346-1357.
51. Papagrigoriou, N., Palantzas, G., and Nalmpantis, D. (2023). Airports and Environmental Sustainability: A Review,
52. ICED 2023 Conferences Proceeding, 1-7. https://www.e3sconferences.org/articles/e3sconf/pdf/2023/73/e3sconf_iced2023_11006.pdf, Access Date: 12.05.2024.
53. Pham, H.S.T., and Tran, H.T. (2020). CSR disclosure and firm performance: The mediating role of corporate reputation and moderating role of CEO integrity. Journal of Business Research, 120, 127–136.
54. Raza, A., Farrukh, M., Iqbal, M. K., Farhan, M., and Wu, Y. (2021). Corporate social responsibility and employees' voluntary pro‐environmental behavior: The role of organizational pride and employee engagement. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 28(3), 1104-1116.
55. Saari, U.A., Damberg, S., Frömbling, L., and Ringle, C.M. (2021). Sustainable consumption behavior of europeans: The influence of environmental knowledge and risk perception on environmental concern and behavioral intention. Ecological Economics, 189, 1-16.
56. Sánchez, M., López-Mosquera, N., and Lera-López, F. (2016). Improving pro-environmental behaviours in Spain the role of attitudes and socio-demographic and political factors. Journal of Environmental Policy and Planning, 18(1), 47-66.
57. Selimoglu, S., and Caliskan, A. O. (2018). Sustainability reporting in airlines industry: Evidence from Turkey. International Journal of Sustainable Aviation, 4(2), 114–132.
58. Sen Demir, S. (2025). Sustainable airline choice: The role of environmental consciousness, carbon offsets, and perceived corporate social responsibility. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 32(5), 6627–6640. https://doi.org/10.1002/csr.70048.
59. Serafin, J., Baca, M., Biegun, M., Mıjowska, E., Kalenczuk, R., Sreńscek N.J. and Mıchalkıewıcz, B. (2019). Direct conversion of biomass to nanoporous activated biocarbons for high CO2 adsorption and supercapacitor applications. Applied Surface Science, 497, 143722.
60. Severo, E. A., and Guımarães, J. C. (2021). Environmental consciousness, sustainable consumption and social responsibility in the context of the Covid-19 Pandemic. GRD Global Research and Development Journal for Engineering, 7(18), 7-18.
61. Sharma, B., and Gadenne, D., (2014). Consumers’ attitudes, green practices, demographic and social influences, and government policies: An empirical investigation of their relationships. Journal of New Business Ideas & Trends,12(2), 22-36.
62. Sizirici, B., Fseha, Y., Cho, C.-S., Yildiz, I., and Byon, Y.-J. (2021). A review of carbon footprint reduction in construction industry, from design to operation. Materials, 14, 6094.
63. Sorsa, K., and Sanchez, B. C. (2024). Corporate social responsibility trends in the airline industry: A bibliometric analysis. Sustainability, 16(7), 2709. DOI:10.3390/su16072709.
64. Stern, P., Dietz, T., Abel, T., Guagnano, G., and Kalof, L. (1999). A value-belief-norm theory of support for social movements. Human Ecology Review, 6(2), 81–97.
65. Sulu, D. and İrge, N. T. (2024). Karbon dengeleme tutum ve davranış ölçeğinin Türkçe'ye uyarlanması. International Journal of Applied Economic and Finance Studies, 9(1), 10-27. (Yayın No: 9029504)
66. Suganthi, L. (2019). Examining the relationship between corporate social responsibility, performance, employees’ pro-environmental behavior at work with green practices as mediator. Journal of Cleaner Production, 232, 739-750.
67. Swaen, V. and Chumpitaz, R.C. (2008). Impact of corporate social responsibility on consumer trust, resherche. Et Applications En Marketing, 23(4), 7-33.
68. Trivedi, S., Negi, S., and Tiwari, S. (2023). Challenges and opportunities for aviation stakeholders in a post-pandemic world, In Kurnaz, S., Rodrigues, A., Bowyer (Eds.), Sustainability in the Aviation Industry in the Post-COVID-19 Era (pp. 235-244). USA: IGI Global.
69. Utaraskul, T. (2015). Carbon footprint of environmental science students in Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University. Social and Behavioral Sciences, 197, 1156-1160.
70. Xiao, C. and Mccright, A. (2015). Gender differences in environmental concern: Revisiting the institutional trust hypothesis in the USA. Environment and Behavior, 47, 17-37.
71. Yaka, I.F., Koçer., A., and Güngör, A. (2015). Akdeniz University health services vocational determination of carbon footprint. Electronic Journal of Machine Technologies, 12(3), 37-45.
72. Zhang, F., and Graham, D.J. (2020). Air transport and economic growth: A review of the impact mechanism and causal relationships. Transport Reviews, 1(1),1–23.