Underlying Gaps between Environmental Knowledge and Behavior in the City of Toyota: Phase III

This study analyzes underlying gaps between environmental knowledge and behavior in the city of Toyota. A previous study suggested that citizens’ environmental knowledge of some eco-items comprising the city’s eco-policy significantly improved since it was designated as an environmental model city by the Japanese government in 2009. However, other studies suggested that citizens do not seem to act on these eco-items. Through a questionnaire with 133 Toyota citizens, this study explores possible reasons why citizens do not take action while knowing these eco-items. The findings suggest that the majority of respondents do not act on eco-items for economic reasons. For instance, buying a next generation car or a smart house is costly. Perhaps the city government should first focus on promoting Ecoful Town or addressing the heat island effect because they are relatively easy to deal with.