8 June 2007
‘Green' consumption represents social activity that cannot be separated from its societal contexts. Factors on both the institutional and individual level impact the nature of consumption. These factors establish the prerequisites and possibilities for environmentally responsible consumption. This emerges in The Colour Green – A Structural Approach to the Environment-Consumption Nexus by Leena Haanpää, Master of Economic Sciences. This thesis study, respective to the economic sociology field, shall be examined at Turku School of Economics on Friday, 15 June 2007.
Leena Haanpää’s thesis study combines various green consumption-based themes. Consumer behaviour is affected by many different kinds of factors from the characteristics of the individual to societal contexts. The general models of consumption by consumers on the individual level explain the commitment to green consumption behaviour more effectively than the traditional socio-demographic background elements, such as age or education.
“At best, commitment to green consumerism was explained by styles of consumption referred to in the following way: indisposition, trend awareness and suitability to the purpose. Price has not affected the degree of commitment so clearly, Leena Haanpää states.
Unwilling consumers do not wish to be consumption-directed. They regard the shopping experience as a waste of time, avoid overpopulated malls and plazas, and hardly ever make impulse purchases. Trend-conscious consumers on their part are eager to experiment and follow their times. ‘Greenness’ and environmental concerns are visibly at the forefront at the moment, so they commit themselves to green consumerism.
“The appropriate consumption style emphasizes the ease and simplicity of consumption,” Ms Haanpää relates. “These consumers regard making purchases on the Internet, for example, as a reasonable alternative to visiting traditional shops. They know what they want and also appreciate green consumerism.”
According to the empirical results, green consumerism commits partly 63 per cent and highly 25 per cent of the data respondents. The research data was that generated in the ‘Mylly’ project of 2003, from which the replies of Turku economic area consumers over 18 years of age were selected.
Youth ‘greenness’ lukewarm
The environmental awareness and desire to act in an environmentally responsible manner on the part of Finnish youth aged 18 – 25 is in the same class as with the other members of the population. For example, only one youth in ten holding a driver’s licence reported that s/he was willing to restrict the use of a car for environmental reasons. On the other hand, it is worthy of note that young people recycle wastes diligently: glass was recycled by over half and paper by three-fourths of the respondents.
”The study showed that the experience of environmental matters and commitment to green consumer behaviour is highly rooted in gender,” Ms Haanpää reveals. “Young women are more concerned about the state of the environment and engage in more concrete acts than young men do. On the attitudinal level, young adults are, relatively speaking, positively inclined towards environmental issues as a whole.”
Finns’ concern over environmental problems is the lowest
In the light of the international data accumulated in 2000, concern on the part of Finns with regard to various environmental problems was the lowest of all – only five per cent – whereas in Chile it was the highest: 54 per cent. A total of 26 various income-level countries (according to gross national product) throughout the world were included within the comparison.
The study corroborated previous international research in which it has been noted that environmental concern is higher inside the lower and mid-level GNP countries. On the other hand, the readiness to make personal financial sacrifices is greater in high income-level nations such as, e.g., Switzerland.
Leena Haanpää comments: “The citizens of poorer countries are, in the light of this data, clearly more worried about the state of the environment, and willingness to function from the environmental perspective may still be found, but economic sacrifices are not possible for many people in the low-GNP nations.”
The doctoral thesis can be read at:
http:/info.tse.fi/julkaisut/vk/Ae7_2007.pdf
Additional information:
Leena Haanpää
+358 40 827 5232