Unveiling the Nexus between Attitudes Toward Sustainability Criteria and Climate Action Support: The Case of Highway Professionals

doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-4974240/v1

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Unveiling the Nexus between Attitudes Toward Sustainability Criteria and Climate Action Support: The Case of Highway Professionals

https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4974240/v1

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This study investigated the relationship between highway professionals' attitudes toward sustainability criteria and their support for climate action in Ghana. Using structural equation modeling, two models were developed to examine bidirectional influences. The first model showed that economic factors and resource utilization significantly predicted climate action support. The second model revealed that climate action support positively influenced the perceived importance of all sustainability dimensions examined, including economic, environmental, technical, social, resource utilization, and project management aspects. The data were collected from 162 highway professionals in Ghana using a structured questionnaire. This study employed a two-step approach: confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) for the measurement model and path analysis (PA) for the structural model. The following six sustainability dimensions were considered: economics, environment, technical aspects, project implementation, social equity and culture, and resource utilization. The results highlight the complex interplay between sustainability priorities and climate action in highway infrastructure development. Economic considerations and resource management practices emerged as key drivers of climate action support, while support for climate action positively influenced attitudes toward all sustainability dimensions. Surprisingly, the environmental, technical, social, and project management dimensions did not significantly predict climate action support in the first model. These findings can inform policies to promote climate-resilient and sustainable highway practices in developing countries by leveraging synergies and addressing potential trade-offs between climate goals and other sustainability objectives. This study contributes to the broader discussion on integrating climate action with sustainable development goals in the context of transportation infrastructure. It also provides insights for regulatory and policy development in developing countries for highway infrastructure design, construction, and management.

Civil Engineering

Climate action support

Developing countries

Highway professionals' attitudes

Structural equation modeling

Sustainable highway infrastructure

Climate change has a global impact and negatively affects lives and national economies, causing substantial current and future costs for individuals, communities, and nations. All areas of life, including transportation, feel its impact (Rawat et al., 2023). However, Wang et al. (2018) recognize sustainable transportation as a major driver of sustainable development. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development mainstreams sustainable transport across several SDGs and targets. In both developed and developing countries, achieving sustainable transport in urban and rural areas necessitates sustainable infrastructure development. The sustainable design, construction, operation and maintenance of roads and highways are essential for achieving sustainability in road and highway transport (Ibrahim & Shaker, 2019). This entails incorporating sustainability criteria into the various stages of infrastructure development by road and highway professionals.

To address climate change and its effects, Goal 13 demands immediate action (United Nations, 2023a). The Global 2030 Sustainability Agenda recognizes the critical role of climate action in achieving a wide range of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It is evident from the literature that there is strong synergy between climate action and other dimensions of sustainable development (United Nations, 2023b). The UN therefore encourages all stakeholders to take action toward reducing the impacts of climate change (United Nations, 2023a). This entails stakeholders', including transport professionals', support for climate change actions and policies at the individual and national levels. Climate action support from highway professionals would ensure robust design and construction that will yield transport infrastructures that are resilient to climate change.

Jones et al. (2022) divides support into two categories: stated and active support, with the former referring to positive attitudes toward the PA and the latter to actual behavior (e.g., responsible environmental behavior when using the PA). The findings from several behavioral science studies clearly show that individual factors, including environmental concern, primarily determine the level of stated and active support for environmental policies (Ajzen, 1985; Stern et al., 1999). Several studies, for example (Helm et al., 2018; Liu et al., 2014; Zibenberg et al., 2018), have adopted the definition of environmental concern by Dunlap and Jones (2002) as “the degree to which people are aware of problems regarding the environment and support efforts to solve them and/or indicate a willingness to contribute personally to their solution." Furthermore, the literature demonstrates the normative and empirical interconnection between the commitments of the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda, highlighting synergies between climate actions and most of the SDG targets. Climate action is indivisible from the achievement of several economic, environmental, health, and social targets (Fuso Nerini et al., 2019). People who care about environmental issues, for example, are likely to support climate policies and actions due to the established interconnection between climate actions and sustainable development goals. It is, however, important to emphasize that few trade-offs exist between climate action and the delivery of the SDGs. Apart from the high cost of some climate actions in the short term, poorly designed climate policies could have negative effects. They may be economically and socially regressive, exacerbating inequality and poverty. Such issues may make it difficult for road and highway professionals to make decisions throughout the infrastructure's life cycle. Even when people consider climate change one of the most important threats facing our planet, climate action is challenging (Fuso Nerini et al., 2019).

Governments have found that public opinion shapes their actions and inaction on the issue of climate change (Fairbrother, 2022). The literature shows that perceptions have significant impacts on both individual and group behavior and are therefore necessary to be considered in the formulation of climate change policies (Hagen et al., 2016; Kahan et al., 2011). It is not surprising that several studies have focused on investigating the factors that determine climate action support among the public. Paloniemi & Vainio (2011) conducted an investigation into the ways in which beliefs about climate change, postmaterialist values, trust, and knowledge influence people's engagement in environmental action. Several studies, e.g., (Bouman et al., 2020), have reported that biospheric, altruistic, egoistic, and hedonic values contribute to support climate action. Ding et al. (2011) conducted an assessment to determine whether perceptions of scientific agreement are associated with support for action to reduce climate change and, if so, to determine whether this association is mediated by other climate change beliefs. McCright et al. (2013) confirmed the mediating role of climate change beliefs between perceived scientific agreement and climate action support. Bostrom et al. (2012) reported the perceived societal and personal consequences of climate change, along with the perceived effectiveness of policy actions, to explain climate policy action support. Rhodes et al. (2017) explored citizen support for various types of climate policies. The authors found that attitudinal factors, such as values and general environmental concern, contextual factors, and institutional factors, influence climate action support. Additionally, having a sufficient understanding of climate change perceptions is very important when the goal is to generate sufficient public support for climate action.

Despite extensive research on public perceptions and attitudes toward climate action support, there is a notable gap in the literature regarding the specific relationship between highway professionals' perceptions and attitudes toward sustainability and their support for climate action. While numerous studies have explored the link between public perceptions and climate action support, the unique perspective of highway professionals—key stakeholders in infrastructure development—has been largely overlooked. This gap is particularly significant given the critical role that highway infrastructure plays in both contributing to and mitigating climate change. Furthermore, the potential bidirectional relationship between sustainability attitudes and climate action support among these professionals has not been adequately explored, especially in the context of developing countries. This study aims to address this gap by investigating the complex interplay between highway professionals' attitudes toward various sustainability dimensions and their support for climate action in Ghana. By focusing on this specific group of professionals and examining both directions of influence, this research provides valuable insights into how sustainability priorities and climate action support interact in the field of highway infrastructure development. Against this background, this study seeks to expand the argument by asking whether such connections exist between highway professionals’ level of support for climate action and the perceived importance of dimensions of sustainable development goals.

Investigating how highway professionals' perceptions and attitudes toward the importance of dimensions of sustainable highway infrastructure development influence their support for climate action is crucial. Some individuals may recognize trade-offs or synergies between the importance of sustainability dimensions and climate action. For example, some people might weigh economic benefits against environmental sustainability. In such cases, they might not support climate actions that require significant financial investment in the short term, regardless of the environmental benefits. However, an increase in support for climate actions may lead to a reconsideration of climate priorities (You et al., 2014)—either they balance their sustainability priorities or potentially shift toward more climate-friendly dimensions (Kaiser et al., 2023). This study investigated the bidirectional relationship between highway professionals' perceptions of highway sustainability dimensions and their support for climate action. In addition to the climate action support construct (CAS), six (6) highway sustainability dimensions (i.e., economics, environment, technical aspects, project implementation, social equity and culture, and resource utilization) are considered for the development of hypotheses. The remainder of this section sheds more light on the conceptual framework involving the various highway sustainability dimensions and the various hypotheses developed for further investigation.

2.1 Economic dimension

The importance of considering climate change implications in economic assessments of infrastructure projects cannot be overemphasized. Aligning economic interests with climate action can lead to more sustainable transportation investments (Ha et al., 2017; Locatelli et al., 2020). If individuals perceive that sustainable infrastructure investments can yield long-term economic benefits (e.g., reduced maintenance costs, job creation), they may be more inclined to support climate action that promotes sustainable and cost-efficient transportation solutions (Salon et al., 2014). However, when an individual places more importance on economic issues related to highway infrastructure development, this does not necessarily mean that the individual would support climate action (Fuso Nerini et al., 2019; IPCC, 2018; PEW Center, 2010). According to Drews & van den Bergh (2016), the public perceives and believes that environmental and climate policies negatively impact the economy. This perception usually results in lower climate policy support (O’Connor et al., 2002; Shwom et al., 2010).

In cases where climate actions are perceived as economically beneficial (e.g., creating green jobs, reducing long-term costs), individuals may increasingly prioritize environmental dimensions within sustainable infrastructure projects (Kaiser et al., 2023). Some individuals supporting climate action may be willing to accept higher short-term costs to achieve climate goals. Others may, however, prioritize long-term economic benefits and view sustainable infrastructure as cost-effective. Thus, we hypothesize the following:

H_1a: The perceived importance of the economic dimension significantly and positively influences climate action support.

H_1b: Individuals who support climate actions will place greater importance on the economic dimension.

2.2 Environmental dimension

Sustainable infrastructure practices, such as using green materials, energy-efficient designs, and emissions reduction measures, directly contribute to climate mitigation efforts. The literature highlights the role of environmental attitudes in advancing climate-friendly transportation projects (Richardsen Moberg, 2024). Researchers have reported a close alignment between climate action support and a positive attitude toward environmentally friendly highway development (Rhodes et al., 2017; Salon et al., 2014). Similarly, individuals who are supportive of climate actions are more likely to have positive attitudes toward environmentally friendly highway development practices.

Thus, we hypothesize the following:

H_2a: Individuals who place greater importance on the environmental dimension will have more support for climate change actions.

H_2b: Individuals who support climate actions will place greater importance on the environmental dimension.

2.3 Technical dimension

To increase the resilience of road networks, a standardized and well-described process is needed for developing, revising, and subsequently implementing construction and design standards (Climate ADAPT, 2019; Toplis, 2015). Technical expertise and commitment to design and construction standards are essential for the successful execution of climate adaptation measures. Highway professionals who recognize the importance of, for example, the use of durable materials, adaptability and flexibility for the future, and technology in design and construction for sustainable highway development may support climate action (Chester & Allenby, 2019; Rattanachot et al., 2015; Shi, 2020). In the other direction, support for climate action is likely to translate into a strong commitment by highway professionals to technical indicators for sustainable highways. They are likely to advocate for climate-resilient design standards, materials, and construction methods with an understanding that technical excellence is crucial for designing and implementing infrastructure that can withstand the challenges posed by climate change.

We therefore hypothesize the following:

H_3a: Individuals who place greater importance on the technical dimension will be more supportive of climate change actions.

H_3b: Individual support for climate actions will place greater importance on the technical dimension.

2.4 Project Implementation and Management Dimension

Project risk assessment, criteria for contractor selection, and compliance with environmental requirements are key indicators in highway project management and implementation (Ametepey et al., 2023; Sanchez et al., 2015). In an era where the words 'organic', 'sustainable', and 'ethical' are ubiquitous, Czinkota et al. (2014), as cited by Geach (2016), suggest that a company's failure to address the threat of climate change can pose a major threat to its reputation. Professionals who prioritize effective project management may recognize that climate regulations and requirements are becoming increasingly common in infrastructure development; therefore, it is necessary to adhere to them for project success. They are likely to support climate action that ensures that projects meet these requirements. Furthermore, those who support climate action are likely to have positive attitudes toward effective highway project management and implementation strategies (e.g., selection of competent contractors, compliance with project specifications, and environmental requirements). Based on these discussions, this study hypothesizes the following:

H_4a: Highway professionals who emphasize the importance of effective project implementation and management will be more supportive of climate actions.

H_4b: Highway professionals who support climate actions will place greater importance on effective project implementation and management.

2.5 Social Equity and Culture Dimension

Social equity is important for all populations to achieve sustainable responses to climate change (Erisken & Brown, 2011). Highway professionals who recognize the importance of social equity and culture in infrastructure development may understand that certain communities are more vulnerable to climate change impacts due to factors such as socioeconomic status or location (Casillas & Kammen, 2012). Their positive attitudes toward social equity and culture can lead to strong support for climate actions that address the needs and vulnerabilities of these communities (Bostrom et al., 2012; Drews & van den Bergh, 2016). They may advocate for climate policies and infrastructure projects that protect culturally significant sites and practices while enhancing climate resilience. When highway professionals actively support climate action, they acknowledge the need to address the negative impacts of climate change on vulnerable and marginalized communities. They understand the importance of reducing disparities and ensuring equitable access to climate resilience measures (Fiack et al., 2021). Their support for climate action fosters a positive attitude toward social equity and cultural issues.

H_5a: Highway professionals who emphasize the importance of social equity and culture dimensions will be supportive of climate actions.

H_5b: Highway professionals who support climate actions emphasize the importance of social equity and culture issues.

2.6 Resource utilization and management dimension

The urgency of adopting sustainable practices in resource utilization has never been greater, given the alarming rate at which the world's natural resources are being depleted. Sustainable resource management is a multifaceted approach that involves responsible utilization and preservation of natural resources (Parvaiz, 2024). Adopting sustainable resource management practices, such as integrating supply chains, using local materials, controlling material quality, and using recycled construction materials in highway development, can significantly mitigate the adverse effects of climate change (Casandra Okogwu et al., 2023; Gálvez-Martos et al., 2018). Positive attitudes developed by highway professionals toward sustainable resource management practices are likely to translate into strong support for climate action, as they see the direct link between responsible resource utilization and management and mitigation of the environmental impact of highway projects (Bouman et al., 2021). Similarly, highway experts who support climate action align with the broader goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, conserving natural resources, and improving environmental sustainability, which require sustainable resource utilization and management practices. They may actively seek ways to reduce waste, promote recycling in highway design and construction, and, overall, preserve the environment.

H_6a: Highway professionals who emphasize the importance of resource utilization and management dimensions will be supportive of climate actions.

H_6b: Highway professionals who support climate actions emphasize the importance of resource utilization and management.

3.1 Research design and measurement scales

This study focused on six sustainability criteria: economics, environmental and social equity and culture, technical and project implementation and management, resource utilization and management, and climate action support (CAS). First, we identified prospective indicators from the literature and other existing guidelines pertaining to highway sustainability and climate change (Appendix 1). The identified indicators were subsequently sent to six (6) highway construction professionals and three (3) experts in academia to evaluate their appropriateness and suggest additional indicators suitable for the Ghanaian context. A structured questionnaire was subsequently developed to obtain information from highway professionals for modeling. The questionnaire was structured into four main sections. Section A contained the purpose of the study and provided written consent about the confidentiality of the data. Section B focused on obtaining demographic information from highway experts. These included their level of affiliated organization, education achieved, years of experience, and professional body membership. In section C of the questionnaire, data were collected about the indicators of the constructs representing the sustainability criteria (dimensions) for highway planning, design, construction, maintenance, and operations. To measure the sustainability constructs, the highway experts were asked to indicate the importance of each indicator in contributing to sustainable highway infrastructure development using the nominal scale, coding 1 as "least important," 2 as "moderately important," 3 as "important," 4 as "very important," and 5 as "extremely important," to measure the sustainability constructs. Higher scores for all the constructs indicate a higher perceived level of importance in sustainable highway infrastructure development. To measure climate action support (CAS), highway experts were presented with measurement items, which required them to indicate their level of agreement or disagreement with statements pertaining to climate change mitigation and adaptation actions. For the climate action support construct, higher scores indicate a greater level of support for climate action. Table 1 (see supplementary material) illustrates the use of four items (EC1, EC2, EC3, and EC4) to measure the economic construct. Five items (i.e., ENV1, ENV2, ENV3, ENV4, and ENV5) were used to measure the environmental constructs. Six (6) items (i.e., T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, and T6) measured the technical construct. Similarly, six (6) items (i.e., PIM1, PIM2, PIM3, PIM4, PIM5, and PIM6) measured the project implementation and management construct. Finally, we measured climate action support (CAS) using eleven (11) items that involved mitigation and adaptation actions.

3.2 Data collection

Prior to the main questionnaire survey, a pilot survey was conducted to assess the questionnaire's clarity, comprehensiveness, and response time (Reda Ismail et al., 2023) so that any ambiguity or omissions could be found. Since the total population size of the highway professionals in Ghana was not readily available, a more reliable estimate of the sample size was estimated using the Cochran, (1977) method, given in Eq. 1.

$$\:n=\frac{{z}^{2}\times\:p\times\:(1-p)}{{e}^{2}}\:\:\:\:\:\:\:\:\:\:\:\:\:\:\:\:\:\:\:\:\:\:\:\:\:\:\:\:\:\:\:\:\:\:\:\:\:\:\:\:\:\:\:\:\:\:\:\:\:\:\:\:\:\:\:\:Equation\:1.$$

where

n = sample size

z = z score (1.96 for 95% confidence level)

p = estimated proportion of the population (0.5 was used for maximum variability)

e = margin of error (0.05 or 5%)

Calculations

n = (1.96^2 * 0.5 * (1-0.5))/0.05^2

n = (3.8416 * 0.25)/0.0025

n = 0.9604/0.0025

n = 384.16

We obtained a minimum sample size of 385. We assumed a variability (p) of 50% to ensure the most conservative estimate, a 95% confidence level (z = 1.96), and a 5% margin of error (e). This calculation resulted in a minimum sample size of 385 respondents. To account for potential nonresponses or incomplete surveys, we increased our target sample by approximately 4%, distributing the questionnaire to 400 participants. This oversampling strategy was employed to ensure that even with some level of nonresponse, we would still achieve our minimum required sample size.

A link to the questionnaire survey, along with a participant information sheet and advertisement, was distributed to 400 participants via email. The target population consisted of stakeholders in the Ghanaian highway industry, including professionals from private highway consultancy firms, government highway consultancy firms, highway construction companies, research and academic institutions, the environmental protection agency, the Ghana standard authority, the water resource commission, and the forestry commission. Respondents with at least two years of experience in Ghana's road and highway industry met the inclusion criteria. Our final sample of 162 completed responses represents approximately 41% of the initial distribution. Although this sample size is lower than our calculated ideal sample size, it still falls within an acceptable range for survey research in the construction sector, where response rates typically span from 20–30% (Assaad et al., 2020). The submitted responses were extracted in CSV format, examined, and cleaned for further analysis.

3.3 Method of data analysis

To determine how highway professionals’ perceptions and attitudes about the various sustainability criteria relate to their support for climate action, there is a need to develop a model that can establish such complex connections. As recommended by Anderson & Gerbing (1988), structural equation modeling (SEM), which is a two-step approach, was used to analyze the data using SPSS AMOS version 25. SEM was used because of its extensive application in multivariate analysis in psychological and behavioral studies. The maximum likelihood estimation method was used to conduct a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) for developing the measurement model and checking the reliability and validity of the measurement items (Hair et al., 2014). This study employed the maximum likelihood estimation method with the assumption that the data are continuous and multivariate normal (Rhemtulla et al., 2012).

The second step involved the development of the structural model, which sought to investigate the hypotheses mentioned in the previous section. Bootstrap analysis was used to test the significance of the indirect effects. This method was employed because of its known advantage of greater statistical power without assuming multivariate normality in the sampling distribution and because it enables the conduct of a parsimonious analysis of multiple mediators (Mallinckrodt et al., 2006). The indirect effect was considered to be statistically significant, and mediation was demonstrated if the 95% bias-corrected confidence interval for the parameter estimate did not contain zero. Nitzl et al. (2016) provided the basis for determining the mediating roles of these factors. There is supposed to be a significant relationship between the independent variable and the mediator. A full mediating effect occurs when the mediator significantly affects the dependent variable, but no significant relationship exists between the independent variable and the dependent variable. On the other hand, the mediator has a partial mediating effect if the mediator and the independent variable both significantly affect the dependent variable. Finally, there is no mediating effect if neither the mediator nor the independent variable significantly affects the dependent variable.

4.1 Demographic profile

A total of 162 valid responses were imported into the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26 for the purpose of conducting the analysis. The majority (53%) of the respondents were contractors, followed by those from road agencies (24%), consultants (11%), researchers/academia (8%), and those from environmental agencies (4%). The years of experience distribution of the respondents indicate that most (63%) of the respondents had worked in the Ghanaian highway industry for more than 10 years.

The majority (64%) of the respondents were members of the Ghana Institution of Engineering. Furthermore, 17%, 6%, and 4% of the respondents were members of the Institution of Engineering and Technology, the Chartered Institute of Building—the Ghana Chapter, and the Ghana Institution of Surveyors, respectively. The rest are either not members of any professional bodies or are part of other associations. These findings indicate that the data cover the opinions of different professionals who come together to contribute to highway infrastructure development from various perspectives in Ghana. The educational profile includes respondents who are well educated, can read relatively well, and have a greater understanding of the questionnaire with no interpretation. Specifically, more than half (65%) of the respondents had a master's degree or above. Only 2% had a diploma, and the rest had a bachelor's degree.

4.2 Measurement model (CFA)

To investigate the relationship between highway professionals’ attitudes and their perceived importance of sustainability criteria, structural equation modeling was employed. The first step was to develop the measurement model, and the next was to construct the structural model. The maximum likelihood estimation method was applied in this study because it is widely employed in SE M, as it improves parameter estimates to reduce a specified fit function when the data are deemed normal (Hair et al., 2014). The results of the modeling effort are presented in the subsequent subsections. The result of the CFA is the measurement model, which defines how measured items (indicators) and constructs (latent dimensions) are related to each other. It provides the link between scores on the measured items and the underlying constructs they are designed to measure (Byrne, 2010) and among the constructs (Importance of Economics, Environmental, Technical, Project Implementation and Management, Social Equity and Culture, Resource Utilization and Management, and Climate Action Support). Altogether, 75 parameters were estimated, consisting of 24 regression weights, 8 covariances, and 16 variances. In addition, 34 and 7 variables were measured and latent, respectively.

There was a need for respecification since the modification indices (MI) values indicated high covariances (significant at p values < 0.001) between the error terms of some measured indicators of different latent dimensions, necessitating respecification. This research considered a factor loading of 0.5 as the minimum value to retain the indicator in the model. Based on the aforementioned issues, some of the items were removed from the model to improve the overall fit of the model. This environmental dimension, which initially had five items, was left with four items. Two items were removed from the initial six items in the technical dimension. An item was also removed from both the social equity and culture criteria and the resource utilization and management criteria constructs.

After the respecification, the measurement model obtained exhibited an acceptable goodness of fit. Jenatabadi & Ismail (2014) suggested that there should be a minimum of four tests that are acceptable for model fit. The loadings of all the items on their respective dimensions were statistically significant (p value < 0.001) for C.R. > 1.96, as shown in Table 1 (see supplementary material). The performance indices of the measurement model were found to be within acceptable ranges. The model fit indices are as follows: chi-square/degree of freedom (CMIN/DF) = 1.790; comparative fit index (CFI) = 0.963; adjusted goodness-of-fit index (AGFI) = 0.906; normed fit index (NFI) = 0.802; and root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) = 0.070. The convergent and discriminant validity were assessed to check the construct validity. The model was considered to have no convergent validity if the constructs had an average variance extracted (AVE) above 0.5. On the other hand, the square root values of their AVEs are expected to be greater than their individual and interconstruct correlation values to have no discriminant validity issues (Fornell & Larcker, 1981). The reliability of each construct was evaluated through the Cronbach’s alpha value and confirmed by the composite reliability, both of which are expected to be above 0.7. Table 1 displays the results of convergent validity and reliability. The Cronbach’s alpha values and composite reliability were found to be above 0.7, indicating that the constructs are reliable. Furthermore, the constructs' AVEs, as shown in Table 1, are all above the threshold of 0.5, indicating that the model has no convergent validity issues. Table 2 shows the interconstruct correlation matrix used for assessing discriminant validity. For each construct, the square root of AVEs presented in the diagonal (and boldface) was compared with the highest interconstruct correlation in the correlation matrix (Malhotra & Sharma, 2023). The results reveal no concerns about the model's discriminant validity. This facilitated the development of the structural model. The next subsection presents the results of the structural model.

Table 1: Convergent validity assessment

Dimension	Indicator	Factor Loading	CA	CR	AVE
CAS	AD1: I encourage the use of appropriate network data and hazard assessments by highway designers and planners with a focus on vulnerable communities for rapid recovery during disasters.	0.76
	AD2: There is a need to develop education and training for road agencies and contractors in the areas of climate change adaptation and mitigation and the environment.	0.79
	AD3: Managing stormwater locally through the use of natural vegetation to create sustainable drainage systems in the construction of highways and roads is a strategy really advocated for.	0.631
	M1: I support road designs that harness local topography to reduce energy requirements during the construction phase.	0.669
	M2: I suggest engineers and planners identify and incorporate the needs of vulnerable people and local communities at the planning stage to provide equal accessibility and meet the differentiated mobility needs of different users.	0.707
	M3: I suggest the implementation of performance-based award criteria around material reuse, energy saving, or alternative energy use in road work contracts.	0.752	0.927	0.927	0.539
	M4: I think there is a need to incorporate emissions criteria in procurement and purchasing during highway projects.	0.761
	M5: I support construction methods that support the social context of the project and how it is placed in the local environment.	0.838
	M6: Road authorities must ensure that plans and policies for mitigating climate change are applied and monitored during the highway construction phase.	0.757
	M7: I think it is important for road agencies to develop the skills and expertise to use design software that rapidly identifies the most energy-efficient route design from a number of otherwise equally viable alternatives.	0.786
	M8: When considering the greenhouse gas emissions from lighting, the amount (or number) of lights, the type of lights used, the wattage of the lamps (bulbs) used, and the operating hours of the lights all need to be considered.	0.586
ECON	EC1: Lifecycle costs	0.72
	EC2: Material costs	0.75
	EC3: Construction time	0.7	0.721	0.819	0.531
	EC4: Maintenance and operation costs	0.744
ENVRN	EN1: Dust control	0.6
	EN2: Environmentally friendly materials	0.668
	EN3: Ecological functions drainage corridor	0.788	0.765	0.810	0.519
	EN4: Environmental monitoring measures	0.805
PM	PM1: Comply environmental requirements project specification	0.718
	PM2: Sustainable policy and strategy	0.75
	PM3: Meeting project duration	0.68	0.8	0.837	0.507
	PM4: Project risk assessment	0.757
	PM5: Criteria for contractor prequalification	0.649
RM	RM1: Supply chains	0.63
	RM2: Local materials	0.65	0.7	0.753	0.508
	RM3: Material quality control	0.84
SC	SC3: Traffic congestion design operations	0.804
	SC4: Traffic congestion construction	0.818	0.769	0.790	0.560
	SC5: Public participation	0.604
TECH	T1: Durable materials	0.631
	T3: Climate change resilient designs	0.552	0.734	0.804	0.513
	T4: Technology design construction	0.843
	T5: Adaptability flexibility	0.8

Note(s): CA: Cronbach’s Alpha; CR: Composite Reliability; AVE: Average Variance Extracted

Table 2: Discriminant Validity Assessment

*Dimension*	*MSV*	*MaxR(H)*	PM	*ECON*	*ENVRN*	*TECH*	*CAS*	RM	SC
PM	0.504	0.841	0.712
*ECON*	0.340	0.820	0.566	0.729
*ENVRN*	0.504	0.829	0.710	0.407	0.720
*TECH*	0.500	0.842	0.702	0.396	0.650	0.717
*CAS*	0.449	0.933	0.613	0.462	0.519	0.561	0.734
RM	0.504	0.791	0.709	0.583	0.613	0.707	0.670	0.713
SC	0.504	0.816	0.689	0.518	0.673	0.671	0.498	0.710	0.748

4.3 Structural models for hypothesis testing

This section presents the results of two structural models that sought to explore the relationship between the perceived level of importance of the sustainability dimensions and support for climate action. Model 1 examines the hypothesis that the perceived importance of all sustainable highway dimensions among highway professionals significantly and positively influences their support for climate action. On the other hand, the second model (Model 2) tests the hypotheses that highway professionals’ level of support for climate actions significantly and positively determines their perceived level of importance of sustainable highway dimensions.

4.3.1 Influence of the perceived importance of sustainability dimensions on climate action support (Model 1)

Figure 1 and Table 3 present the results of Model 1, which highlight the relationship between the perceived importance of sustainability dimensions and climate action support. The unstandardized coefficients, C.R. values, and p values are shown in Table 3, whereas Fig. 1 presents the standardized coefficients. The results show that only two of the independent variables in the model significantly and positively influence the dependent variable (i.e., climate action support), with all the other variables remaining constant while accounting for years of experience and the type of highway professional. The paths with significant relationships are colored “blue” in Fig. 1 and include ECON > CAS (β = 0.159; p value = 0.016) and RM > CAS (β = 0.429; p value = 0.02). These findings validate hypotheses H1a and H6a. This implies that highway professionals who place more importance on the economic dimension will have more support for climate action; all other factors are held constant. Specifically, the results suggest that highway professionals who place much emphasis on reducing life cycle costs, material costs, construction time, and maintenance and operation costs are likely to support climate action. This association may suggest that these professionals view climate action as beneficial, possibly anticipating favorable economic consequences. Highway professionals may anticipate financial benefits from climate change, which could include savings in cost from energy-saving techniques, lower maintenance expenses from climate-resilient infrastructure, and perhaps even access to incentives or funding linked to environmentally friendly and sustainable activities (Cimato & Mullan, 2010). The anticipated economic benefits of climate actions will eventually promote climate action support among highway professionals (Bergquist et al., 2020; Stokes & Warshaw, 2017). This means that climate policies that eventually increase, for example, total life cycle costs, construction times, and maintenance costs, are unlikely to be supported by highway professionals. This finding is consistent with the literature suggesting that economic factors play a significant role in shaping public support for climate action. For instance, Simon (2023), Tobler et al. (2012), and Bemelmans-Videc et al. (2011) opined that policies that imply more direct monetary costs tend to be less supported. Similarly, Bergquist et al. (2020) mentioned in their study that including economic policies unambiguously expands support for bundled climate policies.

The resource utilization and management dimensions include factors such as supply chain management, local material consumption, and quality control of the materials. These factors have a crucial role in deciding how effectively and sustainably resources are used in highway construction projects. The model indicates that highway professionals who emphasize the importance of resource utilization and management dimensions are also inclined to endorse actions aimed at mitigating and/or adapting to climate change. Increasing constraints on the environment and resources are now contributing to the mainstream trend of sustainable development to promote efficient resource management practices (Ali et al., 2021; Y. Wang et al., 2022). These findings indicate the need to explicitly address climate change in management plans to protect biodiversity and natural resources for future generations (Cross et al., 2012; Lawler et al., 2010). Effective resource utilization and management practices promote climate-friendly behavior (Cross et al., 2012). For example, using locally produced materials can reduce transport-related emissions, and effective supply chain management can reduce environmental impacts.

The SC, TECH, PM, and ENVRN dimensions are surprisingly not significant in predicting CAS, as shown in Table 3 and Fig. 1. As such, hypotheses H2a, H3a, H4a, and H5a were not validated. This means that the level of support highway professionals receive is not significantly determined by the level of importance they assign to social equity and culture dimensions, technical dimensions, project implementation and management dimensions, or environmental dimensions. These results are not consistent with our expectations because, for example, climate change is actually seen globally as an extension of other social concerns (Williams & Schaefer, 2013) and has been viewed globally as one of several interlinked crises that exacerbate poverty, inequality, and social vulnerability (Brulle & Pellow, 2006; Mohai et al., 2009). Furthermore, climate change actions have been reported to improve global health outcomes by reducing local pollution in cities. For these reasons, highway professionals who place much importance on the safety and health of workers, reduce traffic congestion during construction and operation, and conduct safety risk assessments and mitigation are expected to support climate change. Contrary to the results of Model 1, Bergquist et al. (2020) reported that the inclusion of social policies in a bundled climate policy increased support significantly. From another angle, the results could mean that highway professionals might perceive potential trade-offs between social equity considerations and climate action. For example, certain climate mitigation and adaptation measures, if not properly designed, may be perceived to have negative social impacts, and this perception could reduce overall support for climate action within the social equity and culture dimensions (Eriksen et al., 2021; Fuso Nerini et al., 2019; Sovacool, 2018).

Table 3: Model output for hypotheses testing (Model1)

Endogenous variable		Exogenous variable	B	S.E.	C.R.	P	Findings on hypothesis
CAS	<---	SC	-0.238	0.169	-1.408	0.159	H5a: Rejected
CAS	<---	ECON	0.159	0.066	2.403	0.016	H1a: Supported
CAS	<---	TECH	0.055	0.104	0.526	0.599	H3a: Rejected
CAS	<---	PM	0.186	0.153	1.214	0.225	H4a: Rejected
CAS	<---	ENVRN	0.064	0.098	0.657	0.511	H2a: Rejected
CAS	<---	Stakeholders	0.018	0.03	0.587	0.558	n/a
CAS	<---	Experience	-0.026	0.028	-0.911	0.362	n/a
CAS	<---	RM	0.429	0.185	2.32	0.02	H6a: Supported

Similarly, the nonsignificant role of the importance of the environmental dimension is inconsistent with the findings of many studies reporting that high levels of environmental attitudes and concerns tend to promote support for climate action (CHEN et al., 2011; Colvin & Jotzo, 2021; Hornsey & Fielding, 2020; Prati et al., 2017). On the other hand, there can be only a weak link between concerns about environmental problems and support for potential solutions (Fairbrother, 2022). These findings corroborate the assertions of other studies (e.g., Kollmuss and Agyeman, 2002; Tam and Chan, 2018; and Gifford and Nilsson, 2014) that environmental concerns may not always translate into support for environmental solutions in societies with constraints on economic resources (e.g., time, money, and enabling facilities). Furthermore, highway professionals' support for climate action was not significantly influenced by project management or technical aspects. This could be attributed to the probable existence of perceived trade-offs between climate action and certain project management and technical practices. For instance, it is possible for environmentally friendly practices to compete significantly with project duration or efficiency-focused construction methods, which could weaken support for overall climate action. Similarly, highway professionals may perceive that specific climate-resilient designs could interfere with project budgets or schedules, which would lessen the focus on the technical aspect of climate action.

4.3.2 Influence of climate action support on the perceived importance of sustainability dimensions (Model 2)

The results of Model 2 are presented in Fig. 2 and Table 4. Like in Model 1, the unstandardized coefficients, CR values, and p values are presented in Table 4. Figure 2 presents the standardized coefficients, with the path forming significant relationships (p < 0.05) colored “blue." Unlike Model 1, all path coefficients, as shown in Fig. 2 and Table 4, are found to be significant (p < 0.05). The independent variable (i.e., climate action support) significantly and positively influences all the dependent variables, with all the other variables held constant while accounting for years of experience and the type of highway professional. In other words, the dimensions ECON, RM, SC, TECH, PM, and ENVRN are all significantly and positively predicted by CAS. These findings validate hypotheses H1b, H2b, H3b, H4b, H5a, and H6a.

The positive relationship between climate action support and the economic dimension indicates that as highway professionals become more supportive of climate action, they tend to be more inclined to prioritize economic factors. This finding implies that highway professionals recognize the interconnectedness of climate action and the economic dimension (reflected in the consideration of reduced material costs, life cycle costs, construction time, and maintenance and operation costs) in achieving broader sustainable development goals.

Furthermore, the study suggests that highway professionals who support climate action are more inclined to adopt practices that improve resource utilization and management in highway infrastructure development (Watson et al., 2012). This alignment is an indication that climate action support extends beyond environmental concerns to influence decisions related to material sourcing, quality control, and management (Y. Wang et al., 2022). The use of local materials is most often associated with a reduced impact on the environment due to lower transport-related emissions. By contributing to climate mitigation efforts, highway professionals may recognize the value of sourcing materials locally to minimize the carbon footprint associated with transportation. Effective supply chain management is important for making infrastructure projects resilient and flexible (Thacker et al., 2021). The highway professionals who support climate action may have understood how important it is to have resilient supply chains in the case of climate-related uncertainties, such as bad weather or problems obtaining materials.

The level of support for climate action significantly influenced the social equity and culture dimensions, as expected. One possible reason is that highway professionals may have noticed an overlap between the objectives of social equity and climate action (Fiack et al., 2021; Swanson, 2021). For instance, efforts to reduce congestion during construction or enhance worker safety can have both climate mitigation and social benefits. The results further suggest that highway professionals who support climate action prioritize public involvement in highway infrastructure project decision-making processes to uphold social equity and consider diverse opinions. This is consistent with most climate action initiatives, which often emphasize the importance of engaging communities and engaging in public participation at every stage of a project (Chitsa et al., 2022; Hügel & Davies, 2020).

Table 4: Model output for hypotheses testing (Model 2)

Endogenous variable		Exogenous variable	B	S.E.	C.R.	P	Findings on hypothesis
RM	<---	CAS	1.002	0.157	6.389	***	H1b: Supported
SC	<---	CAS	0.684	0.139	4.928	***	H2b: Supported
ECON	<---	CAS	0.728	0.157	4.648	***	H3b: Supported
ENVRN	<---	CAS	0.936	0.165	5.692	***	H4b: Supported
TECH	<---	CAS	1.017	0.156	6.522	***	H5b: Supported
PM	<---	CAS	0.987	0.16	6.187	***	H6b: Supported
RM	<---	Stakeholders	-0.033	0.043	-0.77	0.441	n/a
SC	<---	Stakeholders	0.05	0.04	1.26	0.208	n/a
ECON	<---	Stakeholders	0.074	0.055	1.34	0.18	n/a
ENVRN	<---	Stakeholders	0.073	0.053	1.372	0.17	n/a
TECH	<---	Stakeholders	-0.016	0.048	-0.343	0.731	n/a
RM	<---	Experience	0.044	0.04	1.093	0.274	n/a
SC	<---	Experience	0.079	0.038	2.108	0.035	n/a
TECH	<---	Experience	0.11	0.045	2.464	0.014	n/a
PM	<---	Experience	0.077	0.039	1.982	0.047	n/a
ENVRN	<---	Experience	0.082	0.05	1.651	0.099	n/a
ECON	<---	Experience	0.188	0.053	3.526	***	n/a
PM	<---	Stakeholders	0.063	0.041	1.524	0.127	n/a

The positive and significant influence of climate action support on the technical dimension could be because highway professionals who express greater support for climate action are likely to acknowledge that there is a need for highway infrastructure that can withstand climate change effects. This entails utilizing durable materials and integrating climate-resilient designs to guarantee the longevity and functionality of infrastructure in the face of changing environmental conditions (OECD, 2018). Second, climate-conscious professionals may put much emphasis on the need for innovative technologies and advancements in construction and design (Thacker et al., 2021). This involves the use of state-of-the-art materials and techniques that promote climate resilience while enhancing overall technical performance.

Moreover, project management was found to be significantly influenced by climate action support. Highway professionals who support climate action are likely to adopt project management practices that ensure compliance with environmentally focused regulations and standards, thereby driving the incorporation of environmental considerations into project planning and execution (Williams & Schaefer, 2013). Additionally, they are likely to advocate for sustainable policies and strategies that align with climate goals. These policies will guide project management decisions, ensuring that climate issues are considered throughout the project's life cycle.

Finally, Model 2 revealed that climate action support has a positive and significant impact on the level of importance that highway professionals place on the environmental dimension. Support for climate action often correlates with adherence to environmental regulations and standards, as predicted by Vezirgiannidou, (2009). Highway professionals with support for climate action are therefore likely to commit to practices that promote biodiversity, habitat preservation, and ecosystem services. Climate action goals require the integration of ecological considerations into drainage corridors, which contributes to overall environmental sustainability.

This study unveils the complex interplay between highway professionals' attitudes toward sustainability criteria and their support for climate action in Ghana, offering valuable insights for both academic understanding and practical policy implementation. Through structural equation modeling, we uncovered significant relationships that challenge existing assumptions and provide an in-depth perspective on climate action support in the context of highway infrastructure development. Our findings reveal that economic factors and resource utilization are key drivers of climate action support among highway professionals, while surprisingly, the environmental, technical, social, and project management dimensions did not significantly influence climate action support. This highlights the importance of aligning climate initiatives with economic considerations and efficient resource management practices. Moreover, we found that climate action support positively influences the perceived importance of all sustainability dimensions, suggesting a potential virtuous cycle between climate action and broader sustainability attitudes. This research makes several important contributions. This study extends the theoretical understanding of climate action support by focusing on the crucial yet understudied group of highway professionals. The methodological approach of examining bidirectional relationships provides a more comprehensive picture of the dynamics at play. By focusing on Ghana, the study offers valuable context-specific insights into sustainability and climate action in developing countries, addressing a significant gap in the literature. These findings have important implications for policy and practice. They suggest that policies aligning economic factors and resource utilization with climate goals may be particularly effective in promoting climate action support. For industry professionals and organizations, this research highlights the potential for climate initiatives to positively influence broader sustainability attitudes, potentially leading to more holistic approaches to sustainable infrastructure development. This study contributes to a more in-depth understanding of the factors driving climate action support among highway professionals and of the potential for climate initiatives to influence broader sustainability attitudes. As the global community continues to grapple with the challenges of climate change, these insights offer a valuable foundation for developing effective strategies to promote sustainable and climate-resilient highway infrastructure in developing countries. While acknowledging the limitations of this study, future research can build upon these findings, further exploring the complex dynamics between sustainability, climate action, and infrastructure development in diverse contexts.

Based on these conclusions, we recommend a comprehensive approach to enhancing climate action support and sustainability in highway infrastructure development in developing countries. First, aligning climate initiatives with economic benefits is crucial. Policymakers should implement life-cycle cost analysis tools and financial incentives that demonstrate the long-term economic advantages of climate-resilient infrastructure (Locatelli et al., 2020). This approach can address the significant influence of economic factors on climate action support revealed in our study. Second, emphasizing efficient resource utilization in climate strategies is essential. Developing guidelines for sustainable material sourcing and promoting technologies that optimize resource use can enhance both climate action support and overall sustainability (Gálvez-Martos et al., 2018). This aligns with our finding on the importance of resource management in driving climate action support. Third, leveraging the positive influence of climate action support on other sustainability dimensions is recommended. Integrating climate considerations into all aspects of highway projects and developing comprehensive sustainability assessment tools can foster a holistic approach to sustainable infrastructure development (Ametepey et al., 2023). Education and awareness programmes are critical for enhancing the understanding of the interconnections between climate action and other sustainability aspects. Organizing workshops and incorporating climate action modules in professional development programmes can address the knowledge gaps identified in our study (Williams & Schaefer, 2013). Establishing a supportive policy framework is also crucial. This should include mandating climate risk assessments in infrastructure planning and setting clear targets for reducing the carbon footprint of highway projects (OECD, 2018). Such policies can create an enabling environment for climate action in the highway sector. Engaging a broader range of stakeholders, including local communities and environmental agencies, in climate-resilient highway planning can foster wider support for climate action (Hügel & Davies, 2020). This approach addresses the need for a more inclusive approach to sustainable infrastructure development. Finally, implementing robust monitoring and evaluation systems is essential for tracking the progress and effectiveness of climate action initiatives. Developing key performance indicators and conducting regular audits can ensure continuous improvement in climate action strategies (Thacker et al., 2021). By implementing these interconnected recommendations, stakeholders in the highway infrastructure sector can work toward more effective integration of climate action with sustainable development goals, ultimately contributing to more resilient and sustainable transportation systems in developing countries.

It is worth mentioning that this study has limitations in spite of its contributions. The study's focus on Ghana limits the generalizability of the findings to other developing countries or regions, as cultural, economic, and regulatory differences could influence the observed relationships. However, as Boadu et al. (2023) mentioned, there could be similarities in construction industries in developing countries. Although the response rate was above that typical for the construction sector, the final sample size was smaller than initially calculated, potentially affecting the statistical power of some analyses. The reliance on self-reported data may introduce social desirability or other response biases. Furthermore, the cross-sectional design limits causal inferences and does not capture how these relationships might evolve over time. The study also focused on a specific group of stakeholders, potentially missing important perspectives from policymakers, local communities, or end-users of highway infrastructure. Despite considering multiple sustainability dimensions, there may be other factors influencing climate action support that were not included. The study measures the perceived importance of sustainability criteria rather than the actual implementation of sustainable practices, which could be an area for future research. Measurement limitations exist, as some constructs may benefit from further refinement and validation in the specific context of highway professionals in developing countries. Additionally, the study does not capture the potential gap between attitudes and behaviors in this context.

Despite these limitations, this study provides a valuable foundation for understanding the complex relationships between sustainability attitudes and climate action support among highway professionals in developing countries. These findings could serve as a stepping stone for future research, as they can build upon these findings while addressing the identified limitations. Longitudinal studies, the incorporation of additional stakeholder perspectives, and the exploration of the attitude-behavior gap could further enhance our understanding of this critical area.

Ethics Approval

We hereby confirm that the manuscript includes a comprehensive description of all necessary ethics approval. Specifically, the authors detail the approval granted by the Auckland University of Technology Ethics Committee (AUTEC), associated with the institution of Auckland University of Technology, under the approval number 22/327.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Unveiling the Nexus between Attitudes Toward Sustainability Criteria and Climate Action Support: The Case of Highway Professionals

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Abstract

Figures

1.0 Introduction

2.0 Conceptual framework and hypotheses

2.2 Environmental dimension

2.3 Technical dimension

2.4 Project Implementation and Management Dimension

2.5 Social Equity and Culture Dimension

2.6 Resource utilization and management dimension

3.0 Methodology

3.1 Research design and measurement scales

3.2 Data collection

3.3 Method of data analysis

4.0 Results and discussion

4.1 Demographic profile

4.2 Measurement model (CFA)

4.3 Structural models for hypothesis testing

4.3.1 Influence of the perceived importance of sustainability dimensions on climate action support (Model 1)

4.3.2 Influence of climate action support on the perceived importance of sustainability dimensions (Model 2)

5.0 Conclusion and recommendations

References

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