This study employs a sequential mediation model to investigate the cognitive mechanisms linking Earth science education to sustainable behavior. Grounded in construal level theory and temporal cognition research, we hypothesize that geological time perception mediates the relationship between Earth science education and temporal construal level, which in turn affects sustainable behavior. Structural equation modeling, based on data from 280 participants, validated the proposed model. It confirmed geological time perception as a second-order construct with four dimensions: time span perception, understanding of geological processes, time depth perception, and continuity of geological change. The results indicated significant indirect pathways. Earth science education influenced the temporal construal level via geological time perception (β = 0.325), and the temporal construal level mediated the relationship between geological time perception and sustainable behavior (β = 0.306). The sequential mediation path (β = 0.215) suggests that Earth science education promotes sustainable behavior by recalibrating temporal cognition and construal processes. This finding illuminates how educational interventions can address the temporal asymmetry in environmental decision-making by developing specific cognitive capacities rather than simply imparting knowledge.