The influence of eco-label knowledge and trust on pro-environmental consumer behaviour in an emerging market

TLDR

Consumers increasingly worry about the environmental impact of purchases but often fail to act, creating an attitude–behaviour gap; to support eco‑responsible buying, firms are adding detailed environmental information, including externally validated eco‑labels. The study aims to determine how consumers’ eco‑label knowledge and trust, together with environmental knowledge, affect pro‑environmental consumer behaviour. The authors integrate these knowledge variables to assess their influence on pro‑environmental consumer behaviour. The study finds that environmental and eco‑label knowledge boost environmental attitudes, and that positive attitudes plus trust in eco‑labels drive pro‑environmental consumer behaviour, suggesting that education by firms, policymakers, and accreditation bodies can enhance knowledge and trust to increase such behaviour.

Abstract

Consumers are increasingly concerned about the negative environmental implications of purchasing goods, which in turn shape their behaviour. Yet, there are indications that consumers do not always act on these concerns, causing an attitude–behaviour gap. For consumers to make ecologically responsible purchases, they need relevant product environmental information. Therefore, marketers and firms are increasingly integrating more detailed environmental information in their offerings, including eco-labels with externally validated information. This study integrates consumers' knowledge and trust in eco-labels with their environmental knowledge to determine how these affect pro-environmental consumer behaviour (PECB). The findings suggest environmental and eco-label knowledge is positively associated with attitudes towards the environment, and that positive environmental attitudes and trust in eco-labels affect PECB. This implies that firms, policy-makers and accreditation organisations (i.e. labelling) can educate consumers about eco-labels and the environment to increase PECB. Such strategies will also build consumer knowledge and trust in eco-labels, necessary for facilitating PECB.