BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Sustainable development demands synchronized efforts across socioeconomic and environmental domains, specifically targeting poverty alleviation, food security, and environmental stewardship. While green consumption behavior and green marketing serve as established catalysts for sustainable transitions, a critical research gap remains regarding the socio-civic mechanisms that translate individual eco-friendly habits into macro-level policy alignment. To bridge this gap, the study objectives were to evaluate the direct and indirect pathways through which green consumption behavior and green marketing drive local alignment with the sustainable development goals through the mediating role of the public mind among residents in Nonthaburi Province, Thailand.METHODS: A quantitative survey design was executed to gather data from ۴۰۰ residents across administrative districts in Nonthaburi Province using proportionate stratified random sampling. Primary data were collected via structured questionnaires utilizing a ۵-point Likert scale. Analytical procedures encompassed descriptive statistics, confirmatory factor analysis, and structural equation modeling to validate construct relationships and assess overall structural model fit.FINDINGS: Structural equation modeling confirmed that green consumption behavior and green marketing exert statistically significant direct and indirect effects on local sustainable development goals fulfillment via the public mind. The public mind demonstrated the strongest direct influence on sustainable development goals realization (β = ۰.۶۹, p < ۰.۰۱), followed by direct impacts from green consumption behavior (β = ۰.۳۵, p < ۰.۰۱) and green marketing (β = ۰.۲۸, p < ۰.۰۱). Additionally, green consumption behavior was the primary driver of public mind activation (β = ۰.۳۷, p < ۰.۰۱), surpassing green marketing (β = ۰.۲۷, p < ۰.۰۱). The validated structural model accounted for substantial variance in sustainable development goals alignment (R۲ = ۰.۹۷) and the public mind (R۲ = ۰.۷۷). CONCLUSION:
Green consumption behavior and green marketing are critical precursors to cultivating a collective public mind, which bridges individual eco-conscious actions with macro-level alignment of Sustainable Development Goals. Local administrative organizations should incorporate public mind activation into environmental governance policies. Furthermore, this structural framework offers a scalable model adaptable to other rapidly urbanizing provinces in Southeast Asia.