The effects of visual sustainability labels on consumer perception and behavior: A systematic review of the empirical literature

Research output: Journal contributionsScientific review articlesResearch

Authors

Demand-side mitigation solutions such as changing peoples' consumption behaviors can substantially help limit climate change (IPCC, 2022). Labelling schemes are a promising tool to promote more sustainable consumption behavior by reliably informing the consumers about the performance of a product regarding a range of environmental, ethical, or social aspects. However, labelling has been conceptualized in different ways, approached from various disciplinary backgrounds, examined through diverse research designs, and tested across manifold product categories and contexts. The present research synthesizes the dispersed empirical evidence on the effects of visual sustainability labels on consumer perception and behavior by systematically reviewing the literature. In a two-step screening process, a set of predetermined criteria was used to ultimately identify 26 eligible studies. We narratively and quantitatively synthesized the empirical findings. Our aggregated findings suggest that labels do have positive effects on psychological and behavioral outcome variables. In addition, we identify a number of important moderating variables that can be categorized as individual factors of the consumers, as context factors in the purchase situation, and as factors inherent in the label itself. However, the reviewed body of literature reveals deficiencies in studying interactions of labels and external factors and in studying actual behavior change in field settings. Based on these insights gained from the systematic review, we propose avenues for advancements in the field of research and highlight implications for promoting sustainable consumer behavior.

Original languageEnglish
JournalSustainable Production and Consumption
Volume33
Pages (from-to)1-14
Number of pages14
ISSN2352-5509
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 01.09.2022

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright: © 2022

Recently viewed

Researchers

  1. Jochen Schwarz

Publications

  1. Phasing-out Coal in Germany – Not Only, But Also a Legal Challenge
  2. Occurrence of the antidiabetic drug Metformin and its ultimate transformation product Guanylurea in several compartments of the aquatic cycle
  3. The Importance of Being First
  4. Normalitätskonstruktion und Selbstbilder erwachsener Reitender mit einer Körper- oder Sinnesbehinderung
  5. Schätzen – Aber wie?
  6. The universe of group representation in Germany
  7. The need for pluralism in landscape models: a reply to Dunn and Majer
  8. Schreiben
  9. Engaging with entrepreneurial diversity
  10. The ten principles of green sample preparation
  11. Review
  12. The professional identity of gameworkers revisited
  13. Career adaptability development in adolescence
  14. Culturally adapted mathematics education with ActiveMath
  15. SusTimeAbility
  16. Der gefühlte Anspruch in der Haftpflichtversicherung
  17. ADORE - Teaching Adolescent Struggling Readers
  18. Gender Differences in Grip-Strength Depending on Arousal and Valence of Emotions
  19. Abstand nehmen
  20. Safe-and-sustainable-by-design roadmap
  21. The multipole resonance probe: Evolution of a plasma sensor
  22. One-third Codetermination at Company Supervisory Boards and Firm Performance in German Manufacturing Industries
  23. Gemeinsam glücklicher
  24. 2. Methoden-Muster: Gestaltung von Beziehungen, Kontaktpflege, Klima
  25. Schreibfähigkeit
  26. Fallstudie
  27. Workshop on impacts of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement on fisheries and aquaculture in the EU
  28. The opportunity development process of nascent entrepreneurs
  29. The relationship between working alliance and client outcomes in coaching
  30. Hydration and Dehydration of CaO/ Ca(OH)2 and CaCl2 / CaCl2 * 6 H2O– TGA/ DSC studies
  31. Autonomie der Migration
  32. On the application of laser shock peening for retardation of surface fatigue cracks in laser beam-welded AA6056
  33. Innovation in a Computable General Equilibrium Model
  34. Zwischen Existenzkampf und Professionalisierung
  35. Wieso gilt Ada Lovelace als die ‚erste Programmiererin‘ und was bedeutet überhaupt ‚programmieren‘?
  36. Distribution and community structure of araneocoenoses (Araneae) along an altitudinal gradient on Kozuf Mountain (North Macedonia)
  37. Fiktionen, Mythen, Realitäten