Consumer Preferences towards Green Consumption
A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Economic and Business Aspects of Sustainability".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 November 2022) | Viewed by 39672
Special Issue Editor
Interests: environmental economics; sustainable/green consumption; pro-environmental decision making
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
There is little doubt that the Earth is facing an environmental crisis due to humanity’s disproportionate pressure on the planet. This crisis bears worldwide catastrophic consequences, including global warming along with the resultant melting of glaciers in the poles; serious threats to global biodiversity; tremendous overuse of natural resources. In particular, human consumption of natural resources, combined with very low global repair and recycling rates, has led to a waste crisis.
In light of these alarming environmental threats, policy makers at all levels are trying to mitigate anthropogenic pressure by various means, including the imposition of regulations. However, the effectiveness and efficiency of measures such as “command and control” and market-based tools are limited. It is becoming clear that a global improvement in the environment will not be realized without truly harnessing consumers. The accumulated effects of billions of individual decisions have major impacts on the environment and these are projected to be exacerbated as both the size and wealth of the human population continue to grow. Encouraging green consumption, thus, is considered a key challenge in addressing the environmental crisis and mitigating climate change.
Plastic probably presents the largest challenge. Plastics make up 85% of beach litter across the world and micro-plastics have been found in the air, water, and soil. Nevertheless, plastic is of huge convenience to consumers and is characterized by a large benefit–cost ratio. Given the obstacles to enacting and effectively enforcing hard regulation, reducing the consumption of plastics—as well as other harmful environmental habits—may require a mix of hard and soft regulatory measures. These issues have not received enough attention in the literature.
Another issue, which has largely been neglected, is the effect of policy measures and other interventions aimed at evoking green consumption among minorities and faith-based communities. Recent evidence indicates that COVID-19 has disproportionately impacted racial and ethnic minorities. At the same time, the outbreak of COVID-19 has been indirectly linked to climate change. This creates a window of opportunity to evoke behavioral change among minority and faith-based communities.
This Special Issue welcomes theoretical and empirical contributions that will identify and strive to bridge these and other gaps in current knowledge. Contributions can be drawn from behavioral economics, psychology and economics, and related fields. Contributions should have a clear policy and/or managerial implications and should help to guide decision-makers, at all levels, towards sustainable consumption and, ultimately, efficient growth.
Dr. Anat Tchetchik
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- green consumption
- sustainable consumption
- pro-environmental consumption
- consumption reduction
- single-use plastics
- soft regulation
- green nudges
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