Climate Change and Consumer Behavior

Fighting climate change and its detrimental effects on the environment and the society has become a key priority for many governments. With the Paris Climate Agreement, many countries worldwide have committed to cut greenhouse gas emission and reach climate neutrality by mid-century, setting the roadmap for a sustainable economic growth. However, this ambitious goal will not be achieved without the contribution of the consumers. Indeed, everyday consumption decisions, especially food-related ones, can play a relevant role in alleviating pressure on the environment. Reducing meat consumption and choosing food products with sustainability labels are just two of many examples of how consumers can become more environmentally friendly. Although people have become increasingly aware and sensitive about sustainability-related issues, they sometimes fail to behave accordingly. This chapter describes some of the key factors underlying consumers’ intention–behavior gap and discusses their main implications for designing effective demand-side policies geared at leveraging sustainable consumption decisions.