Abstract
The present study utilises 2,741 data points from the 2021 China General Social Survey (CGSS) to explore the intrinsic relationship between socioeconomic status (SES), environmental awareness (EA) and environmental protection behaviours (EPB), as well as their heterogeneous characteristics. The investigation employs linear regression and stepwise regression methods to analyse the data.The study's findings are as follows. Firstly, the study found that SES has a significant positive effect on residents' environmental protection behaviour, and high SES groups are more likely to implement environmental protection behaviours due to the advantages of resource access and environmental education.Secondly, environmental perceptions have been found to play a mediating role, thereby suggesting that economic status can indirectly drive behavioural change by enhancing environmental perceptions. The investigation also reveals significant generational and regional variations, with the environmental behaviour of the elderly being most influenced by SES due to abundant time resources and intergenerational transmission motives. The central region is identified as having the most prominent role of SES in promoting environmental behaviour, owing to the uneven coverage of policies during the transition period of environmental governance.This study aims to provide a reference for other developing countries as they formulate environmental policies, with a view to advancing global green and sustainable development.