Editing Consumer behaviour (section)

=== Environmental impact ===

An aspect of [[Individual action on climate change]] is consumer behaviour that affects how much and what kinds of materials are used to produce goods and food, how much material is [[recycled]] or [[composted]], how much ends up as pollution, how much ends up in [[landfill]]s, where goods are produced, how far they travel, and the [[carbon footprint]] of manufacturing, transportation, and disposal. [[Green marketing]] targets consumers who take the environmental impact of their purchases into account. One 2017 study found no impact of green marketing on consumer behaviour in Bangladesh.{{citation needed|date=February 2022}} The study suggests policies be made that decrease the cost of eco-friendly products. It also encourages the implementation of programs which raise consumer awareness regarding the issue of [[green consumption]].

There are psychological factors which contribute to a consumer's perception surrounding their personal contributions to climate change inducing actions. One of the more well studied biases is referred to as the "better-than-average", or self-enhancing bias.<ref name=":22">{{Cite journal|last1=Leviston|first1=Zoe|last2=Uren|first2=Hannah|date=March 2020|title=Overestimating One's 'Green' Behavior: Better-Than-Average Bias May Function to Reduce Perceived Personal Threat from Climate Change|url=https://spssi.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/josi.12365|journal=Journal of Social Issues|volume=76|pages=70–85|doi=10.1111/josi.12365|s2cid=213919455}}</ref> This bias depicts an individual's tendency to perceive that their actions are superior, especially when compared to peers or demographically similar consumers. It has been found that this cognitive bias is indeed present when considering how consumers perceive their pro-environmental efforts.<ref name=":22" /> This may be a result of information about climate change leading to feelings of guilt and concern, which activates an unconscious thought process (denial, the better-than-average effect, and other cognitive reactions) that leads to a reduced perception of the threat of climate change. It is a mental [[defense mechanism]] that ultimately leads to a reduction in perceived individual responsibility to take part in green behaviours and one-planet-living.<ref name=":22" />