Factors affecting compliance with vehicular environmental laws and pro-environmental behavior in Lahore, Pakistan

Lahore, Pakistan, is considered the most polluted city in the world and is suffering from environmental injustice due to a lack of compliance with vehicular environmental laws and deficient observance of pro-environmental behavior. This study analyzes factors affecting public compliance with vehicular environmental laws among drivers in Lahore with an extended pro-environmental behavior approach. The study utilized several factors such as personal benefits prioritization (PBP), economic incentives perception (EIP), government system (IGS), perceived eco-policy effectiveness and enforcement (PEPEE), environmental knowledge and awareness (EKA), theory of planned behavior (TPB), and value belief norm theory (VBNT). Using purposive sampling in the data collection, two hundred fifty-one participants voluntarily answered the survey through a self-administered online questionnaire utilizing the partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Results showed that personal benefits prioritization (PBP) significantly affected economic incentive perception (EIP). EIP and perceived eco-policy effectiveness and enforcement (PEPEE) showed a significant direct relationship with environmental knowledge and awareness (EKA). Interestingly, the government system (IGS) has the highest direct significance with PEPEE. EKA significantly affected the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and the value belief norm theory (VBNT). Thus, this study can be a foundation for related sectors to enhance the air quality of Lahore, Pakistan, by enhancing vehicular environmental laws and ensuring compliance. Increasing awareness through improving education and enforcement strategies is expected to contribute to successful compliance among Lahore residents, eventually aligning with national ecological sustainability policies. Moreover, the paper provides a comprehensive roadmap for stakeholders to address the environmental challenges identified and contribute to a more sustainable and environmentally just future globally.