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In order to slow down, if not stop, climate change, we all need to contribute to reducing our greenhouse gas emissions. This knowledge has been with us for a long time, but nevertheless emissions have not decreased, but rather increased. To understand the reason why we don't act in line with what we know, we need to study behaviors. In this paper we focus on behaviors at the individual level. The gap that exists between what we know and what we do has many names where it is studied from different perspectives, and to understand what creates this gap is very complex. There is therefore not just one answer to this question and many different complementary theories and models are needed. The majority of the studies carried out on the subject examine perceptionsof the gap among people without higher education in environmental science, which has contributed to knowledge being, in many cases,seen as one of the main contributing factors to inaction.In our study, we want to contribute with a perspective on the gapin people who already have a higher education in environmental science. We conducted a qualitative study with three focus group interviews with environmental science students at Linköping University. The results show that, despite higher education and knowledge, there are variousindividual, structural and responsibility factors thathinder individuals fromactingenvironmentally friendly. Throughout the analysis the situational aspect comes into play and that knowledge of the complexity of environmental and climate issues can in many cases contribute to inaction. / För att kunna bromsa, om inte stoppa, klimatförändringarna behöver vi alla bidra till att minska våra växthusgasutsläpp. Denna vetskap har funnits med oss länge, men trots det har inte utsläppen minskat utan snarare ökat. För att förstå orsaken till varför vi inte agerar i linje med vad vi vet behöver vi studera beteenden. I denna uppsats fokuserar vi på beteenden på individnivå. Det gap som finns mellan vad vi vet och vad vi gör har många namn (e.g. value-action gap, attitude-behavior gap) där man studerar det utifrån olika perspektiv. Att förstå vad som skapar detta gap är mycket komplext. Det finns därmed inte ett rätt svar på denna fråga utan det behövs många olika kompletterande teorier och modeller. Majoriteten av de studier som gjorts undersöker uppfattningar om gapet hos personer utan högre utbildning inom miljövetenskap. Vilket har bidragit till att bristande kunskap i många fall setts som en av de största bidragande faktorerna till overksamhet. Vi vill därmed i vår studie bidra med ett perspektiv på gapet utifrån personer som redan har en högre utbildning inom miljövetenskap, och kallar således gapet för knowledge-action gap. Vi genomförde en kvalitativ studie med tre fokusgruppsintervjuer med miljövetarstudenter från Linköpings universitet. Resultatet visar på att det, trots en högre utbildning och kunskap, finns många olika, individuella, strukturella och ansvarsrelaterade, faktorer som gör att en individ inte agerar miljövänligt. Genomgående i analysen för dessa är att den situationella aspekten spelar in samt att kunskapen om miljö-och klimatfrågans komplexitet i många fall kan bidra till overksamhet.

Syftet med denna uppsats är att bygga vidare på den tidigare forskningen inom hållbar konsumtion och skapa en förståelse för hur konsumenten påverkas i valet att gå ifrån en positiv attityd till handling i köpprocessen. Tonvikten av studien kommer placeras på den sociala påverkan och ämnar ge en ingående bild av dess innebörd i valet av att handla hållbara livsmedel.   En kvantitativ studie genomfördes där primärdata samlades in genom en enkätundersökning vilket resulterade i 304 giltiga svar. Studien baserades på en mängd vetenskapliga artiklar inom ämnet hållbar konsumtion och närmare bestämt attityd-handlingsgapet.     De undersökta påverkansfaktorerna social påverkan, pris, upplevd effekt och tillgänglighet visade sig ha olika stark inverkan på respondenterna, med endast pris och upplevd effekt som signifikant betydelse att påverka beteendegapet gällande attityd och handling. Social påverkan uppnådde ingen signifikans i att ha en betydelse för konsumentens attityd till handling. Vid en närmare undersökning av social påverkan påvisades skillnader inom denna variabel, där familjens tyckande och den rådande / The purpose of this study is to extend knowledge in previous research conducted within sustainable consumption and create a deeper understanding how different factors affect the customer in the buying process. The emphasis in the study is to enhance the understanding regarding effects from social norms in the process of a sustainable food consumption.    A quantitative study was conducted where the primary data was gathered through an online survey. The survey resulted in a total of 304 valid responses. The study was based on previous scientific articles related to the area of sustainable food consumption and the attitude-behaviur gap.   The examined factors regarding social influence, perceived customer effectiveness, availability and price had different impacts in reducing the gap, but only price and perceived customer effectiveness proved significant regarding attitude and actions in the behavior gap. Social influence had the least impact on customers’ decisions to buy sustainable food, however in a further analysis family and current trends had some impact.

Fashion democratization over the last few decades made fashion products available at lower costs to everyone in society. It alarmingly increased consumption, leaving drastic impacts on the world's sustainability both on the social and environmental fronts, thereby leading to water and land pollution, dangerous working conditions, sweatshops, wage exploitation, and gender discrimination. Our study, therefore, sheds some light on addressing this core problem of fashion sustainability by focusing on the problem from the consumers’ perspectives because researchers conclude that consumers hold power to mitigate this issue to a greater extent by becoming sustainable. However, in many cases, consumers show the attitude-behavior gap when it comes to consuming sustainable fashion. The area of actual sustainable fashion consumers is also under-researched. Therefore, we conducted our research in this area and used qualitative methods for it. We identified a small group of 16 sustainable transitional fashion consumers who have started their sustainable fashion consumption journey. We performed an inductive process study of these transitional consumers' journeys and developed a Conceptual ‘Consumer Journey Map’ from unsustainability towards sustainability. We used semi-structured interviews for data collection. By studying their entire process of transition, we identified a number of constraints that retained them from making the transition towards sustainable fashion consumption, such as Social Influence, Trend and Newness, Unaesthetic Appearance and Lack of Variety, Lacking Sizes and Fitting, Low price, and Lower Income, Lack of Knowledge and Information and Greenwashing by the brands. However, the enablers that pushed them to become sustainable were Influence from Sustainable social circles, Tangible Experiences, Quality and Longevity, and Feelings of guilt and remorse which are presented in ourconceptual ‘C-E Framework.' Our research also identified conceptual ‘Levels of Sustainability,’ where consumers reuse or reduceor reject to pass Level one. To reach Level two, a consumer has to begin combining any two of these behaviors. However, to reach the final Level X, a consumer needs to reuse, reduce, and reject simultaneously. A consumer passes through these different levels from being a ‘self’ consumer to be a ‘social’ one and finally converting into a ‘sacrifice’ consumer in their journey.

The purpose of this study is to provide a deeper understanding to business managers, of how the Swedish Generation Y consume furniture and if there is a want of consuming more green furniture. The thesis identifies previous research of sustainability development within furnishing and the phenomenon of attitude-behavior gap among consumers. Hence, the purpose of investigating consumer’s behavior and attitudes, the qualitative method has been used to understand the processes and influence factors of the contextualized setting. Further, this study follows a deductive approach because of the unexplored research area and due to the importance of studying sustainability within furnishing from a new point of view.   Continuously, the literature review of this thesis includes previous established scientific research and theories concerning; green practices within the furniture industry; the characteristics of Generation Y; and the phenomenon of attitude-behavior gap. From the literature review a conceptual framework has been conducted to illustrate the main concepts and their relation, which are examined in this study. These concepts have been used to analyze the empirical data originating from interviews of 37 consumers within Generation Y in Sweden. From the purpose of this thesis the research resulted in two clear research questions that were defined as; (1) How does the behavior and consumption pattern of Gen Y occur when consuming furniture?; and (2) Which are the needs and wants of Gen Y in Sweden, when it comes to sustainable furniture? In the conclusion chapter, the answer of these research questions is completed together with the theoretical and practical implications.    The main theoretical implication from this research is the finding that an attitude-behavior gap exists within Generation Y when consuming furniture. This gap is present due to barriers and influencing factors which are; (1) consumers lack of knowledge; (2) the limited supply and information from companies; (3) the unclear or lack of green furniture marketing; and (4) companies not being transparent in their actions.   Finally, the practical implications of this study presents suggestions for furniture companies and how they can increase their green operations to meet the request of Generation Y. Companies should focus on marketing sustainable furniture to a larger extent in order to raise the awareness of  Generation Y and to be more transparent in the supply chain and business operations, so the consumers can have a greater insight in the process. By implementing these recommendations, companies will improve Generation Y's purchasing of sustainable furniture as well as increase their awareness regarding green furniture consumption.

This dissertation investigated why Dutch millennials have a positive attitude towards sustainable packaging and whether this resulted into the purchase of sustainably packaged products in the FMCG industry. Data was collected by the use of a survey among 115 Dutch millennials. With the use of moderation variables (price, packaging quality, availability, recognition and perceived consumer effectiveness), certain interaction effects could be measured that influence purchasing decisions. Results showed that a positive attitude towards sustainable packaging results in a higher probability of purchasing sustainably packaged products. Furthermore, it was found that millennials are willing to pay extra for sustainable packaging. Also, more knowledge on how to recognize sustainably packaged products increases the likelihood of purchasing them.

The fast fashion industry has a large negative impact on the environment and its workers. Consumers purchasing fast fashion are reinforcing the dominant social paradigm, the assumption that humans are superior and the Earth’s resources unlimited. Even though customers are reconsidering their fashion consumer behavior, they often fall back to making unsustainable choices. Research has shown that communication strengthens ethical consumption and supports reducing the attitude-behavior gap. This study proposes that sustainable communication encourages fashion customers to reason with themselves in a way their behavior evolves to be more sustainable. The aim is to investigate customers’ reception and interaction with sustainable communication using the example of the ethical fashion brand Nudie Jeans. Based on the theories of the attitude-behavior gap and sustainable communication, semi-structured in-depth interviews with Nudie Jeans customers were conducted. The analysis of the interview responses demonstrates the initial presence of an attitude-behavior gap and low awareness of sustainable communication among customers. The research indicates that after customers have developed an awareness of sustainable concerns in the fashion industry, a fashion brand can succeed in encouraging customers to adjust predominant consumption patterns towards more ethical ones. On this basis, it is recommended that ethical fashion brands continuously use transparent sustainable communication to educate consumers about the environmental and social maladministration in the fashion industry.

Background: China's rapidly growing beauty consumer market has led to environmental deterioration and Chinese citizens are aware of this important issue, however, despite positive pro-environmental attitudes, consumers are reluctant to buy green products. This issue is known as the attitude-behavior gap, and existing research lacks information on how this gap operates in the Chinese beauty market. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to use the ACB (Affective, Cognitive, Behavioral) Attitude Model to explore how the attitude-behavior gap works in the Chinese beauty market, specifically, the attitudes of Chinese consumers and how they influence behavior. Method: This study was an exploratory qualitative study in which 30 Chinese participants were interviewed in 3 focus groups consisting of 10 participants each. For the purpose of this study, participants' attitudes toward beauty and personal care products were investigated. Conclusion: The empirical findings show that green knowledge is considered the most important factor in the attitude-behavior gap, as consumption habits and patterns hinder purchase behavior. Second, is health consciousness, where purchase behavior is hindered by the skepticism of product attributes and insufficient information. Third, self-image, as overpackaging makes consumers think that it is detrimental to their image of green consumption. Finally, social influence is the least important factor, as Chinese people are collectivistic and purchasing behavior is more likely to be influenced by surroundings. By prioritizing these four factors, beauty companies and marketers can understand what is preventing Chinese consumers from purchasing beauty and personal care products, and then have the appropriate marketing strategies to respond.

This thesis investigates through focus groups the effect of greenwashing from theenvironmentally conscious consumer perspective. The study deepens the understanding of attitudes and purchase intentions before and after the revealing that the marketing campaignwere criticized as greenwashing. The respondents' thoughts, perceived credibility andpurchase intention contributed to the fact that patterns regarding attitude and purchase intention could be distinguished. Through Rausch and Kopplin's green extension of Ajzen's Theory of Reasoned Action and the theory of The Green Gap, the respondents' attitudes and purchase intentions could be interpreted. Before revealing the information of greenwashing, the respondents were already critical of the messages in all shown cases. Despite an interpreted negative attitude, the respondents pointed out that they could consider buying the products. After the revealing of greenwashing, a sense of affirmation was perceived in the focus groups. The credibility of the marketing is thus considered to have been negatively damaged, but the respondents justify future purchases based on other positive sustainable attributes that the products or companies have. A revealing of greenwashing in a generally environmentally conscious consumer segment is thusinterpreted to be of less importance, where other factors justify that the purchase intention remains.

The subject of sustainable development is growing in relevance, and never before has research on the subject been as essential. Research shows that the globalization of the clothing industry has a significant impact on both climate and society. Furthermore, consumers today demand sustainably produced products, and they are willing to pay more to support such companies. Despite this, research shows that there is a gap between consumers' expressed demand for sustainable alternatives and their purchasing behavior in favor of sustainable organizations . This gap is often referred to as the 'attitude-behaviour gap' (ABG), which refers to the gap between positive attitudes and consumer behavior. The purpose of this study is to explore the area described as the 'attitude-behaviour gap' between consumers' CSR requirements and purchasing behavior. Specifically, this phenomenon will be examined within the clothing industry with the help of the following questions: "Are Swedish consumers' sustainable attitudes transformed into purchasing behavior within the clothing industry?" if not; "Which factors possibly influence ABG in the Swedish clothing industry?". Method: The study has been based on a qualitative approach where interviews with consumers have been carried out. The interviews were conducted in a semi-structured manner and analyzed thematically based on an analysis model designed from previous research. Results: The study has confirmed that ABG also exists in Swedish consumers. The results show that negative CSR information damages the company's relationship with consumers and in many cases leads to a loss of customers. In contrast, positive CSR information is not as significant. For consumers to switch to sustainable consumption, certain core factors need to be met; first, the consumer needs to have sufficient information and a personal interest in CSR. The consumer's perception of price, the availability of sustainable alternatives and the attributes of the clothes are also central factors. In addition to this, peripheral factors can influence consumers' purchasing behavior. These factors have been explained as company image and credibility, peer pressure, and consumer familiarity. / Ämnet hållbar utveckling växer sig allt större i relevans och aldrig förr har forskning kring ämnet varit så väsentligt. Forskning visar på att globaliseringen av klädindustrin har en betydande påverkan på både klimat och samhälle. Vidare efterfrågar konsumenter idag hållbart producerade produkter och att de är villiga att betala mer för att stödja sådana företag. Trots detta så visar forskning att det finns ett glapp mellan konsumenters uttalade efterfrågan på hållbara alternativ och deras köpbeteende i förmån för hållbara organisationer. Detta gap benämns ofta som ‘attitude-behavior gap’ (ABG) som refererar till mellanrummet mellan de positiva attityderna och konsumenternas beteenden. Syftet med denna studie är att utforska området som beskrivits som ‘attitude-behavior gap’ mellan konsumenters CSR krav och köpbeteende. Specifikt kommer detta fenomenet att granskas inom klädindustrin med hjälp av följande frågeställningar:“Omvandlas svenska konsumenters hållbara attityder till köpbeteenden inom klädindustrin?” om inte; “Vilka faktorer påverkar eventuellt ABG i den svenska klädindustrin?”. Metod: Studien har utgått från ett kvalitativt tillvägagångssätt där intervjuer med konsumenter har genomförts. Intervjuerna genomfördes på ett semistrukturerat sätt och analyserades tematiskt baserat på en analysmodell som utformats från tidigare forskning. Resultat: Studien har bekräftat att ABG existerar även hos svenska konsumenter. Resultaten visar på att negativ CSR-information skadar företagets relation till konsumenterna och leder i många fall till en förlust av kunder. Däremot är inte positiv CSR-information lika betydande. För att konsumenterna ska övergå till hållbar konsumtion behöver vissa kärnfaktorer uppfyllas; dels behöver konsumenten ha tillräckligt med information och en personlig angelägenhet gentemot CSR. Centralt är även konsumentens prisuppfattning, de hållbara alternativens tillgänglighet och klädernas attribut. Utöver detta kan perifera faktorer påverka konsumenternas köpbeteenden. Dessa faktorer har förklarats som företagets image och trovärdighet, grupptryck, samt konsumentens familjaritet.