Consumer Perceptions Understanding And Use Of Product Related Environmental Information

Product-related environmental information is an important policy instrument for a shift towards more sustainable consumption patterns, and such information helps consumers choose environmentally improved products. While ecolabeling has had a particularly strong breakthrough in Nordic markets, a number of other communication modes, such as environmental product declarations and producers' self-declared claims have been applied in both the consumer and business-to-business markets. This report comprises a summary of recent research on how Nordic consumers perceive, understand, and use product-related environmental information. A comprehensive literature review supplemented with expert interviews forms the foundation for this work. The report highlights well-researched areas and proposes areas where deeper knowledge and understanding is required. The research was conducted cooperatively between the International Institute for Industrial Environmental Economics (IIIEE) at Lund University in Sweden; the National Consumer Research Centre in Finland; and Environice in Iceland with the purpose to obtain and present a comprehensive picture of the situation in the Nordic countries.

Abstract: Product related environmental information is considered to be an important policy instrument for the support of a shift towards more sustainable consumption patterns. Such information aims to guide consumers to choose environmentally improved products in purchase situations. While eco-labelling has had a particularly strong breakthrough in Nordic markets, a number of other communication modes, such as environmental product declarations and producers' self-declared claims have been applied, in both the consumer and business-to-business markets. Furthermore, product related environmental information is meant to promote consumer awareness about products' environment performance. However, to stimulate the desired market transition, consumers need to actually take producers information into account. This report comprises a summary of recent research on how Nordic consumers perceive, understand and use product related environmental information. A comprehensive literature review supplemented with expert interviews forms the foundation for this work. The report highlights well-researched areas and proposes areas where deeper knowledge and understanding is required. The research was conducted cooperatively between IIIEE at Lund University in Sweden, the National Consumer Research Centre in Finland, and Environice in Iceland with the purpose to obtain and present a comprehensive picture of the situation in the Nordic countries

Eco-labelling programmes have been in existence for many years but their recent growth now extends to many products and services. The academic literature has grown in response and there have been several theoretical and empirical advances. This volume presents the best of previously published research on the design and effects of eco-labelling programmes. Whilst concentrating on the economic literature, the articles also approach the topic from a psychological, sociological and political point of view. Part One focuses on a range of theoretical developments, Part Two on empirical measurements of the effectiveness of eco-labelling, Part Three on the factors that influence the success and design of eco-labelling programmes and Part Four on the effects of eco-labelling on international trade and development.

Over the past decade there has been growing interest in the role of information in the promotion of environmentally friendly behaviour. This book examines how and why the provision of such information can affect individual decisions concerning buying or consuming a product or valuing a policy. The information can take the form of a product label or a statement in a survey questionnaire, and the decision can be what product to buy, what food to eat or how to answer a contingent valuation question. The chapters in this volume carefully explore the explanations for consumer behaviour in different scenarios where information is provided about the 'public' implications of individual decisions. The first set of chapters examines the prospects for eco-labelling as a tool of environmental policy from a variety of different perspectives. They also look at how this form of information provision compares with more familiar policy instruments in achieving efficiency goals. In the second and third sections the focus is on environmental and food labelling, in which a combination of private and public motives for purchase decisions is found. Finally, the role of information in contingent valuation surveys is considered, in particular the impact of information and time in altering stated value responses.

This 2-volume book covers the state-of-the-art of the research and practices on eco-design. It covers the latest topics in the field: e.g. global eco-design management, big data in eco-design, social perspectives in eco-design; as well as emphasizing the developments in emerging economies such as Asian countries. Eco-design of products and product-related services are indispensable to realize the circular economy and to increase resource efficiencies of our society. Eco-design practices are necessary both in developed countries and developing countries. The book chapters are contributed by the worldwide authors, especially authors from East Asian countries, European countries, and Southeast Asian countries, and contains selected presentations at the EcoDesign2017 symposium (10th International Symposium on Environmentally Conscious Design and Inverse Manufacturing). The second volume focus on assessment and management, including topics such as sustainable manufacturing and End of Life (EOL) management, sustainability assessment, policy and regulations and Incentives for eco-design.

The issues of sustainability and corporate social responsibility have become vital discussions in many industries within the public and private sectors. In the business realm, incorporating practices that serve the overall community and ecological wellbeing can also allow businesses to flourish economically and socially. Green Business: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications is a vital reference source for the latest research findings on the challenges and benefits of implementing sustainability into the core functions of contemporary enterprises, focusing on how green approaches improve operations. Highlighting a range of topics such as corporate sustainability, green enterprises, and circular economy, this multi-volume book is ideally designed for business executives, business and marketing professionals, business managers, academicians, and researchers actively involved in the business industry.

This book deals with the in-depth study of sustainability issues in the agri-food sector. In particular, a critical analysis of the current situation was developed and the future prospects of the sector on the issue of managing the environmental variable and the impacts relating to food production and consumption have been analyzed. Furthermore, the state of implementation and best practices relating to the carbon neutrality model in the agri-food sector were analyzed and models for the development of a new food production system were proposed with particular reference to the reduction of emissions, regeneration of natural resources, the elimination of waste and the reuse of production by-products. The main objectives of the book are to analyze the current situation and trends regarding carbon neutrality schemes and the connection with other greening programs, to identify and analyze the carbon-related labels, their methodology and their conformity assessment mechanisms and to understand possible key drivers for carbon neutrality or low carbon achievements in the agri-food sector. Today companies are acting on climate change pressures implementing carbon-neutral strategies for their brands and products. These frontrunner companies have identified a specific competitive advantage and are exploiting it to become the pioneers and the reference model for the carbon neutral implementation. This book will provide detailed and practical insights on how your organization can take positive action and be part of the global response developing a carbon neutral business.

Rapporten præsenterer et studie af brugen af frivillige aftaler og forekomsten af miljømærker i de nordiske lande, inklusiv brugen af instrumenterne i et policy mix med andre policy værktøjer. Grundlaget for rapporten er fem landestudier, der hver især kortlægger brugen af de nævnte policy værktøjer i de fem nordiske lande og præsenterer identificerede evalueringer af konkrete frivillige aftaler og miljømærkeordninger. Fra evalueringerne uddrages konklusioner om omkostningseffektivitet samt gode og dårlige eksempler på anvendelse af frivillige aftaler og miljømærkeordninger i kombination med andre styringsmidler. Det primære formål er at udvikle anbefalinger, der kan understøtte og give input til justeringer af strategier for den fremtidige anvendelse af frivillige aftaler og miljømærker i de nordiske landes miljøregulering. Rapporten er udført af Plan Miljø og finansieret af Nordisk Ministerråd.