Harmony, Risk, and Trust: Public Acceptance of CCUS Projects in Guizhou Province, China from a Daoist Ecological Perspective

Abstract

In the context of China’s dual-carbon goals, carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) has emerged as a critical technological pathway for reducing emissions in coal-dependent regions. Yet the implementation of CCUS projects depends not only on technical feasibility and policy support, but also on public acceptance. This study examines public acceptance of CCUS projects in Guizhou Province, a region of ecological sensitivity, strong policy relevance, and rich cultural traditions that invite reflection on the relationship between human activity, technological intervention, and the natural world. Drawing on a perspective informed by Daoist ecological thought, especially the concern for harmony between humans and nature. This study investigates how public cognition, fairness, legal protection, environmentalism, perceived usefulness, perceived risk, and trust shape acceptance of CCUS projects. Using questionnaire data collected from college students, institutional employees, and enterprise-related personnel in Guizhou, the study applies structural equation modeling to test the proposed relationships. Exploratory factor analysis shows that the cumulative explained variance reaches 66.61%. The results indicate that environmentalism has a significant positive effect on public acceptance of CCUS projects. Fairness and legal protection significantly influence public acceptance through trust. Public cognition affects public acceptance through perceived benefits and perceived risks. Distinct from some previous studies, however, the findings reveal that perceived risk exerts a stronger influence on public acceptance than perceived benefit. Without altering the empirical structure of technology-acceptance research, this study places CCUS acceptance within a broader ethical and cultural conversation about ecological governance in contemporary China. It suggests that public responses to low-carbon technologies are shaped not only by instrumental evaluations, but also by deeper concerns about balance, responsibility, and the legitimacy of intervening in nature..