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Encouraging pro-environmental behaviour through green identity labelling

Author

Listed:
  • Daniel Schwartz

    (University of Chile)

  • George Loewenstein

    (Carnegie Mellon University)

  • Loreto Agüero-Gaete

    (University of Chile)

Abstract

Promoting products for ‘green’ people has become an important strategy to encourage sustainable consumption. We test the effectiveness of the green identity labelling technique, which encourages pro-environmental purchases by associating them with an eco-friendly image. We conducted four experiments (online, laboratory and two field experiments) in which individuals could purchase green products that, in the treatment groups, were accompanied by a green identity label (for example, ‘this product is for green shoppers’). We find that the green identity labelling technique increases purchase of environmentally friendly products across the consumer settings examined in our experiments. We also examine factors that can moderate this effect. Green identity labels increase sales only if no price discount on the green product is advertised, and they have a bigger impact on people with demographics associated with pro-environmental values.

Suggested Citation

  • Daniel Schwartz & George Loewenstein & Loreto Agüero-Gaete, 2020. "Encouraging pro-environmental behaviour through green identity labelling," Nature Sustainability, Nature, vol. 3(9), pages 746-752, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natsus:v:3:y:2020:i:9:d:10.1038_s41893-020-0543-4
    DOI: 10.1038/s41893-020-0543-4
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Martina Chalupová & Stanislav Rojík & Hana Kotoučková & Lenka Kauerová, 2020. "Food Labels (Quality, Origin, and Sustainability): The Experience of Czech Producers," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(1), pages 1-13, December.
    2. Erik Hermann, 2022. "Leveraging Artificial Intelligence in Marketing for Social Good—An Ethical Perspective," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 179(1), pages 43-61, August.
    3. Ortega, David L. & Sun, Jiayu & Lin, Wen, 2022. "Identity labels as an instrument to reduce meat demand and encourage consumption of plant based and cultured meat alternatives in China," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 111(C).
    4. Barkemeyer, Ralf & Young, C. William & Chintakayala, Phani Kumar & Owen, Anne, 2023. "Eco-labels, conspicuous conservation and moral licensing: An indirect behavioural rebound effect," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 204(PA).
    5. De Bauw, Michiel & Franssens, Samuel & Vranken, Liesbet, 2022. "Trading off environmental attributes in food consumption choices," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 112(C).
    6. Lin, Wen & Nayga, Rodolfo M., 2022. "Green identity labeling, environmental information, and pro-environmental food choices," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 106(C).
    7. Cecilia Castaldo & Matilde Giaccherini & Giacomo Pallante & Alessandro Palma, 2024. "Unveiling Shades of Green Food beyond Labels. Evidence from an Online Experiment to Climate Adaptation," CESifo Working Paper Series 11161, CESifo.
    8. Tan, Fuqiang & Li, Xi & Agarwal, Reeti & Joshi, Yatish & Yaqub, Muhammad Zafar, 2024. "Does multilingual packaging influence purchasing in retail segment? Evidence from multiple experiments," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    9. Dominik Bär & Stefan Feuerriegel & Ting Li & Markus Weinmann, 2023. "Message framing to promote solar panels," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-9, December.
    10. Paul M. Lohmann & Elisabeth Gsottbauer & Christina Gravert & Lucia A. Reisch, 2024. "Nudging, fast and slow: Experimental evidence from food choices under time pressure," CEBI working paper series 24-19, University of Copenhagen. Department of Economics. The Center for Economic Behavior and Inequality (CEBI).
    11. Santa, Juana Castro & Drews, Stefan, 2023. "Heuristic processing of green advertising: Review and policy implications," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 206(C).
    12. Córdova, Angélica & Imas, Alex & Schwartz, Daniel, 2021. "Are non-contingent incentives more effective in motivating new behavior? Evidence from the field," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 130(C), pages 602-615.
    13. Jacqueline Arriagada & Claudio Mena & Marcela Munizaga & Daniel Schwartz, 2023. "The effect of economic incentives and cooperation messages on user participation in crowdsourced public transport technologies," Transportation, Springer, vol. 50(5), pages 1585-1612, October.
    14. Veríssimo, Diogo & Blake, Katie & Flint, Hilary Byerly & Doughty, Hunter & Espelosin, Dulce & Gregg, Emily A. & Kubo, Takahiro & Mann-Lang, Judy & Perry, Laura R. & Selinske, Matthew J. & Shreedhar, G, 2024. "Changing human behavior to conserve biodiversity," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 126106, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    15. Hoffmann, Christin & Hoppe, Julia Amelie & Ziemann, Niklas, 2022. "Faster, harder, greener? Empirical evidence on the role of the individual Pace of Life for productivity and pro-environmental behavior," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 191(C).
    16. Chamila R. Perera & Hassan Kalantari & Lester W. Johnson, 2022. "Climate Change Beliefs, Personal Environmental Norms and Environmentally Conscious Behaviour Intention," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(3), pages 1-15, February.

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