Skip to main content
European Commission logo print header

Motivating Consumers for Sustainable Consumption: The Causal Effects of Multiple Motives

Project description

Encouraging sustainable consumption

Sustainable consumption is crucial for sustainable development in the fight against climate change, resource depletion and famine. Unfortunately, despite an extensive campaign for responsible consumption, it is still not enough to change consumer behaviour. To address this issue, an in-depth understanding of consumers’ motivational drivers is needed. In this context, the EU-funded MOTIVE project proposes a new comprehensive theoretical framework to examine consumer motivations for adopting or rejecting sustainable products, in relation to specific products and different demographic groups. An experimental design will provide knowledge for effective communication and the promotion of sustainable consumption. The project’s work will contribute to the goal framing theory.

Objective

The low share of sustainable consumption signals an important need to investigate consumers’ motivations for sustainable consumption. A better understanding of consumers’ motivational drivers can be helpful in increasing the sustainable consumption and, thus tackling environmental problems. Consumers’ motivations for sustainable consumption have been investigated from different theoretical perspectives. A comprehensive theoretical framework explaining why people [do not] buy sustainable products is a gap in the literature. This research project contributes to the Goal Framing Theory which has so far been discussed on the conceptual level mainly. This theory is different from the most well-known theories of consumer pro-environmental behavior (such as normative theories) in the sense that it integrates three categories of individual motivations, namely gain (weighing costs and benefits), normative (personal moral norms) and hedonic (positive emotions) motivations. This research project investigates the effects and relationships of gain, normative and hedonic motivations on sustainable consumption. As of context, four sustainable products namely electric cars, solar panels, car sharing and smart thermometers are selected. Moreover, this research examines the moderating effect of socio-demographic variables including gender, and situational variable including social norms, policy and infrastructure on these effects. Utilizing experimental design, this research will provide novel insights on how to communicate and promote sustainable consumption.

Coordinator

SYDDANSK UNIVERSITET
Net EU contribution
€ 219 312,00
Address
CAMPUSVEJ 55
5230 Odense M
Denmark

See on map

Region
Danmark Syddanmark Fyn
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Links
Total cost
€ 219 312,00