Green digital platforms are interactive systems that encourage environmentally friendly behaviors by leveraging digital technologies to engage users and promote sustainability. Although previous studies have examined user motivation and platform engagement, less is known about how specific forms of goal design influence users' behavioral expectations and low-carbon behaviors. Based on goal-setting theory, this study examines how goal level and goal orientation in green digital platforms influences users' behavioral expectations and behavioral outcomes. Using Ant Forest in China as the research context, two experiments were conducted to test the effects of different forms of goal design. The results show that (1) lower goal levels increase users’ behavioral expectations by making goals seem more achievable; (2) goals oriented toward platform engagement behaviors generate higher behavioral expectations than goals oriented toward real-world environmental behaviors; (3) goals oriented toward real-world environmental behaviors are more effective in promoting low-carbon behavior outside the platform; and (4) behavioral expectation fully mediates the relationship between goal level and platform engagement behavior. These findings expand the theoretical understanding of green digital platforms and provide actionable insights for developers, governments, and organizations seeking to design platforms that encourage sustainable behaviors and contribute to environmental goals.
Weibo Zheng (Fri,) studied this question.