Enablers of ‘Green’ Society: Dissecting the Impact and Variation in Consumers’ Green Adoption

Abstract

Rapid depletion of the Earth’s limited resources has created uncertainty for future generations to be able to use these resources. Deteriorating environment and costs associated with non-green activities has made it imperative that consumers adopt green products and services and make a transition towards sustainable consumption practices. It is in this context that the present work examines various antecedents or enablers for their impact on consumers’ green adoption. Following the questionnaire method, data collected from 351 respondents was analyzed. Of the sixantecedents so examined, the findings showed a significant positive impact of three enablers (product characteristics,market area characteristics, and social factors) but a significant negative impact of the remaining three enablers (public policy, climatic conditions, and environmental awareness) on consumers’ green adoption. The study also reveal interesting insights with respect to variation in green adoption across consumers’ age, income, and level of education.In conjunction with the results, the paper provides a detailed discussion of the differential impact of these enablers and outline suggestions that can be used by marketers and policy makers to devise focused strategies for different consumer groups to encourage them to embrace green offerings and be a part of a greener society