The Influence of Climate Perception and Low-Carbon Awareness on the Emission Reduction Willingness of Decision Makers in Large-Scale Dairy Farming: Evidence from the Midwest of Inner Mongolia, China

In recent years, global climate change has profoundly influenced natural ecosystems and human societies, making climate mitigation and carbon emission reduction a point of consensus among the international community. The issue of carbon emissions in agriculture, particularly in the livestock sector, is garnering increasing attention. This study focuses on large-scale dairy farms in the central and western regions of Inner Mongolia, exploring their low-carbon production behavioral intentions and influencing factors. By constructing a structural equation model (PLS-SEM), we systematically analyze the relationships between variables such as climate perception, value judgment, attitude, subjective norms, and perceived control and their combined effects on low-carbon production behavioral intentions. The findings suggest that the influence of climate perception and low-carbon awareness is mediated. Thus, the stronger the farm owners’ perception of climate change, the more they recognize the value of low-carbon production and the greater the social pressure they experience and their sense of self-efficacy. The farm owners’ attitudes, perceptions of social norms, and evaluations of their own capabilities collectively determine their intentions regarding low-carbon production. Furthermore, multi-group analysis showed significant heterogeneity in behavioral intentions between different scales of dairy farms. Small-scale farms, due to their weaker economic capacity, tend to harbor negative attitudes towards low-carbon production, while large-scale farms, with greater economic power and sensitivity to policy and market demands, are more likely to take low-carbon actions. This study provides theoretical support for formulating effective low-carbon policies, contributing to the sustainable development of the livestock sector and agriculture as a whole.