1. Janine Dermody
Professor in Marketing & Consumer Psychology
Faculty of Business (Marketing)
Oxford Brookes University
ADVANCING SUSTAINABLE CONSUMPTION:
SOME RESEARCH THOUGHTS ON A PERENNIAL
BEHAVIOURAL CHANGE PROBLEM

2. “Unless we change our direction,
we are likely to end up where we
are headed.”
Should we be worried?
WHERE ARE WE GOING?

3. We are facing the most urgent crisis of our time
“The future could extend into a posthuman era.
We’re still near the beginning of evolution, not
its culmination.” (Martin Rees, UK Astronomer
Royal)
This is a crisis for civilisation
ARE WE FACING A CRISIS?

4. We have entered the era of the anthropocence – a
human planet.
https://youtu.be/h8S4nrTzCwE?t=181
We fundamentally need to change the way we think,
our behaviour (& the psychology underpinning it)
and our engagement in the world
and we have not started yet…we need to stop
playing games
IN CRISIS? …
IS MANKIND TO BLAME?

5. We are facing challenges we have NEVER faced
before
WE need to solve these problems they will not solve
themselves
But solving them is one of the most exigent
behavioural change challenges of modern history
WHY AREN’T WE CHANGING OUR
BEHAVIOUR?

6. The need to transform consumption behaviour
into more sustainable choice-making is
fundamental in helping to solve our planet’s
ecological crisis
ONE SOLUTION?

7. But this is not just about the what, why & desires of
shopping…
£ Our economic systems – growth & distribution of
wealth…
£ Equality and justice – sharing resources, sharing
solutions…
£ Rights and responsibilities – civic versus consumer
society; developed versus developing economies…
ONE SOLUTION?

8. So my unique research study is multi-cultural and more
holistic:
Eastern vs. Western consumers – 10 Countries (n=6500+)
(Europe, China, US)
20 sustainable consumption behaviours
Multiple concepts (7) to explore connections and key
influencers
Quantitative (survey) and qualitative (individual & group
discussions)
EXISTING RESEARCH ON
SUSTAINABLE CONSUMPTION IS TOO
NARROW (actually all research…)

9. We are facing a significant challenge in persuading
consumers to consume more sustainably…
For the majority:
− They do not know what sustainability is
− They do not understand the connections between climate
change problems and their consumption practices
− They feel powerless to change anything
− They blame others – governments, industry, different
generations – but never themselves
− And they don’t want to give up buying stuff…
SO WHAT HAVE I FOUND?

10. Chinese consumers more materialistic than UK. Pursue acquisition
& display of wealth & possessions.
BUT our Chinese respondents showed significantly more
environmental concern, pro-environmental self-identity & sustainable
consumption behaviour than our UK respondents. Environmental &
human/ societal problems more real to them?
Our China results show a positive relationship between materialism
& sustainable consumption. Can consumers continue to consume
materialistically & not damage the planet? Can materialism be
green?
SO WHAT HAVE I FOUND?
A Little more detail contrasting UK & CHINA

11. Identity critical to advancing sustainable consumption behaviour …
Sustainable consumption behaviour symbolically self-expressive in
portraying consumers sense of their ‘pro-environmental self’ in both
Western (individualistic) and Eastern (social ties) cultures.
This takes us to marketing and its responsibilities…
SO WHAT HAVE I FOUND?
The importance of identity

12. A bolder, more confrontational marketing approach from
Governments and environment agencies is needed to
dramatically strengthen global sustainable consumption
behaviours
So to advance sustainable consumption we need a different
kind of marketing imbued with psychology of behavioural
change…
IMPLICATIONS OF THIS STUDY
FOR ADVANCING SUSTAINABLE
CONSUMPTION?

13. 1. A more significant and consistent marketing campaign by
Governments and charity coalitions urgently needed to
fundamentally advance sustainability via individuals’ values
and self-identity. Otherwise too slow & disjointed. This directly
challenges global corporations’ marketing strategies and
individual countries’ economic growth strategies.
2. The myth of “green” materialism emerging in BRIC markets
MUST be exploded. MARKETING MUST NOT GO HERE.
ADVANCING SUSTAINABLE
CONSUMPTION THROUGH MARKETING?

14. 3. Governments must shape nations’ values by addressing
causes & dominance of intensely consumerist values in
society – feeding desire for materialistic self-identity
through possessions. Economic growth NOT for its own
sake but for people & planet.
e.g. Governments, environmental agencies, researchers
should redirect how (a) sustainable consumption is being
marketed by companies - consume ‘green’ but not less is
unacceptable; (b) corporations market and position
themselves as environmentally responsible (very problematic).
ADVANCING SUSTAINABLE
CONSUMPTION THROUGH MARKETING?

15. 4. Cultural tailoring of marketing strategies for sustainability is essential. It
is critical that China does not repeat the mistakes of the West and
embed unfulfilling and unsustainable consumerism into its values
and norms.
5. Institutions must work together to advocate a more holistic approach to
advance sustainability to enable a change in societal values away
from self-enhancement (financial success, image and fame) towards
self-transcendence (personal growth, close relationships with family
and community well-being).
ADVANCING SUSTAINABLE
CONSUMPTION THROUGH MARKETING?

16. “This is the century where people of this planet have
to find shared values, develop common principles and
accept divergent civilizations if we are to manage our
resources for the good of all.” (McIntosh 2003, 14)
A FINAL COMMENT…

17. A fuller version of the ideas and evidence contained in
this presentation has been published in:
Dermody, J. Hanmer-Lloyd, S., Koenig-Lewis, N. & Zhao, A.L.
(2015). Advancing sustainable consumption in the UK and China:
The mediating effect of pro-environmental self-identity. Journal of
Marketing Management, Special Issue: Sustainable Consumption:
Activism, Innovation and Brands. Volume 31, Issue 13-14, 1472-
1502. DOI:10.1080/0267257X.2015.1061039
FURTHER READING