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Determinants of sustainable consumption in France: the importance of social influence and environmental values

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  • Nathalie Lazaric

    (COMUE UCA - COMUE Université Côte d'Azur (2015-2019), CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, GREDEG - Groupe de Recherche en Droit, Economie et Gestion - UNS - Université Nice Sophia Antipolis (1965 - 2019) - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - UniCA - Université Côte d'Azur)

  • Fabrice Le Guel

    (UP11 - Université Paris-Sud - Paris 11)

  • Jean Belin

    (GREThA - Groupe de Recherche en Economie Théorique et Appliquée - UB - Université de Bordeaux - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

  • Vanessa Oltra

    (GREThA - Groupe de Recherche en Economie Théorique et Appliquée - UB - Université de Bordeaux - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

  • Sébastien Lavaud

    (GREThA - Groupe de Recherche en Economie Théorique et Appliquée - UB - Université de Bordeaux - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

  • Ali Douai

    (COMUE UCA - COMUE Université Côte d'Azur (2015-2019), GREDEG - Groupe de Recherche en Droit, Economie et Gestion - UNS - Université Nice Sophia Antipolis (1965 - 2019) - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - UniCA - Université Côte d'Azur)

Abstract

Our article provides empirical findings for France related to sustainable consumption and what triggers sustainable behaviour. We investigate various potential key explanatory variables including social influence and environmental values, among others. Our main contribution is to survey and to analyse a set of consumption practices (rather than the examination of single practices as in most of the literature) for a large sample of more than 3,000 households. The survey was conducted in France in 2012. We use cluster analysis to identify and describe the different consumer behaviour profiles. This methodology identifies three clusters of consumers characterized by diverse concerns related to the environmental impact of their consumption. Based on these clusters, ordered Logit models are fitted on three levels of sustainable consumption behaviours. Our results emphasize the importance of age, gender, education, environmental concern and peer effects for spurring sustainable consumption. We discuss the role of peer pressure as a major determinant. Learning about sustainable behaviour from peers seems to complement changing environmental values and stimulate pro-environmental behaviour. Our findings show that local externalities clearly outweigh the global consequences related to the promotion of sustainable consumption behaviours; that is, the ability to learn in small networks is critical for the promotion of trust and the exchange of ideas and practices.

Suggested Citation

  • Nathalie Lazaric & Fabrice Le Guel & Jean Belin & Vanessa Oltra & Sébastien Lavaud & Ali Douai, 2020. "Determinants of sustainable consumption in France: the importance of social influence and environmental values," Post-Print halshs-02387961, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:halshs-02387961
    DOI: 10.1007/s00191-019-00654-7
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://shs.hal.science/halshs-02387961
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    1. Iljana Schubert & Judith I. M. de Groot & Adrian C. Newton, 2021. "Challenging the Status Quo through Social Influence: Changes in Sustainable Consumption through the Influence of Social Networks," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(10), pages 1-17, May.
    2. Emily Tanimura, 2021. "Statistical discrimination without knowing statistics: blame social interactions?," Working Papers hal-03096126, HAL.
    3. Amel Attour & Marco Baudino & Jackie Krafft & Nathalie Lazaric, 2020. "Determinants of smart energy tracking application use at the city level: Evidence from France," Post-Print hal-02942483, HAL.
    4. Olga V. Zakharova & Lyudmila G. Suvorova & Mariya V. Bogdanova & Anton Viktorovich Zakharov & Anton Permyakov & Irina Yuryevna Malykh, 2021. "Environmental Education: Ecological Wisdom of Indigenous Peoples in Western Siberia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(7), pages 1-18, April.
    5. Di Novi, Cinzia & Marenzi, Anna, 2022. "Improving health and sustainability: Patterns of red and processed meat consumption across generations," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 126(12), pages 1324-1330.
    6. Han, Fei & Zhou, Jiehong & Yan, Zhen & Yin, Shijiu, 2022. "Nudge to be Green? The Influence of Social Comparison on Consumers' Consumption Behaviors: A Case Study of Green Takeaway Packaging," 2022 Annual Meeting, July 31-August 2, Anaheim, California 322228, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    7. Spandagos, Constantine & Baark, Erik & Ng, Tze Ling & Yarime, Masaru, 2021. "Social influence and economic intervention policies to save energy at home: Critical questions for the new decade and evidence from air-condition use," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 143(C).
    8. Ines Fachbach & Gernot Lechner & Marc Reimann, 2021. "Exploring the repair intention of consumers – the role of environmental, social and economic drivers," Working Paper Series, Social and Economic Sciences 2021-05, Faculty of Social and Economic Sciences, Karl-Franzens-University Graz.
    9. Emily Tanimura, 2021. "Statistical discrimination without knowing statistics: blame social interactions?," Université Paris1 Panthéon-Sorbonne (Post-Print and Working Papers) hal-03096126, HAL.

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    JEL classification:

    • Q58 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environmental Economics: Government Policy
    • D23 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Organizational Behavior; Transaction Costs; Property Rights
    • D11 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Consumer Economics: Theory
    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making
    • R21 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Household Analysis - - - Housing Demand

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