Green Consumption: Awareness and Purchase Decisions

Abstract

Economic growth unambiguously leads to environmental degradation. Several environmental problems such as greenhouse warming, soil degradation, loss of biodiversity, deforestation, air and water pollution etc. are becoming a matter of increasing concern day by day. As per the estimates of the International Panel on Climate Change, the average world temperature may rise by three degrees Celsius by the end of the next century under their “business-as-usual” scenario. Green consumerism has become the need of the day as one of the solutions to the abatement of the environmental problems. Based on the statistical analysis of primary data this paper provides insights into the consumers' behaviour towards the consumption of green products; describing the factors contributing to the green purchasing decisions of consumers, awareness towards the impacts of purchases, the opportunity cost of being a green consumer etc.