This study focuses on the antecedents of sustainable development in tourism destinations and explores residents’ environmental knowledge and perceived justice and how these influence pro-environmental behaviour. The study discusses: (a) environmental knowledge and environmental sensitivity; (b) perceived justice and residents’ satisfaction; (c) place attachment; and (d) pro-environmental behaviour. By presenting seven hypotheses for analysis, the study develops a measurement framework that involves resident perception of justice in Kaifeng, one of the first sets of the 24 ‘Historical and Cultural Cities in China’. A pilot survey (103 respondents) and a final survey (558) were conducted to identify the role of the antecedents of residents’ pro-environmental behaviour in a tourism destination. The results reveal the positive influence of environmental knowledge, environmental sensitivity, and perceived justice on pro-environmental behaviour. This finding expands our cognition of the inter-relationships of the dimensions that belonged to the construct. The study illustrates that perceived justice significantly influences overall community satisfaction and indirectly impacts pro-environmental behaviour in tourism destinations. This pioneering study thus expands the early framework of pro-environmental behaviour and provides practical information to amplify the concept of justice in tourism studies.