Potential energy transition in a transitional country: Initial evidence from young Vietnamese survey and Bayesian approach

Abstract

Industrialization and consumerism have aroused growing concern about energy depletion, necessitating a transition from fossil fuel to renewable energy sources. To this end, every segment of the population should shoulder responsibility for mitigating environmental problems, especially the young generation. This study contributes to the literature on environment management and development by improving the understanding of young adults’ intention to acquire energy conservation knowledge and its correlation with their demographics and environmental concerns. We employed a systematic randomized sampling method and conducted a large-scale online survey with the participation of 1454 students in 48 different universities in Vietnam. The first results show that young adults had significant environmental concerns, yet more efforts are demanded to turn perceptions into actions or contributions. Almost 83% expressed a desire for energy-saving knowledge, and roughly 50% are willing to take an energy course. We found that the young adults' perception and high income were positively associated with their decision on energy course enrolment. Demographically, women were more likely to take energy-saving courses, and those living urban areas had a higher desire for knowledge enhancement. These findings have numerous policy implications for facilitating energy transformation based on improved environmental education programs for sustainable development in Vietnam and beyond.