This thesis uses Fairclough’s three-dimensional model for critical discourse analysis to investigate the newly ratified EU directive Empowering the Consumers for a Green Transition (ECGT). By using the fundamental philosophical assumptions of discourse analysis, framing theory, and active audience theory, the thesis investigates how the notions of greenwashing and consumers are discursively constructed in the directive. As well as how solutions to combating greenwashing are discursively constructed. The thesis finds that greenwashing is mainly constructed as a communication-related phenomenon using misleading explicit claims in corporate and organizational communication. Furthermore, greenwashing is constituted as a misleading communication and unfair market practice rather than being related to environmental aspects. When it comes to consumers, they are attributed a key role in driving the green transition of the EU region. However, as an audience, they also lack empowerment due to their lack of inability to assess environmental claims in media texts critically. Moreover, the proposed solutions and strategies for combating greenwashing should be implemented so that it does not affect the current market mechanism. While greenwashing communication should be prohibited according to the directive, the document does not address how identified negative consumption patterns should be altered. However, the directive leaves out several greenwashing communication strategies currently being used on the market. Leaving a potential loophole for latent and more sophisticated greenwashing practices to continue. Thus implicating the EU’s explicit goal to achieve a green transition and the reduction of misleading communication practices related to the environment in the region.

The purpose of our essay, “Scroll, click, buy: the role of social media in consumer culture”, is to investigate how young women aged 20-24 are influenced by their own consumption, also which factors have an influence, such as peer pressure, advertising, economics, influencers,or the climate issue. We want to investigate this through the question: How are young women affected by different social media in relation to their social circle and their own consumption?The method for carrying out the essay is of a qualitative nature, where interviews are the basis for data collection. We used this method to get the opportunity to find the more profound thoughts and consumption patterns of our interviewees. This data gave us the opportunity to analyse how the category of young women relates to our question. We have analysed our collected data with the theories, social bonds by Thomas Scheff, subjectivity fetishism by Zygmunt Bauman and surveillance capitalism by Shoshana Zuboff. Through this study, we can see that young women are aware of the impact that consumer behaviour has on the climate. We can also see a lack regarding how they see their own impact on the climate, as well as individual responsibility / Syftet med vår uppsats är att undersöka hur unga kvinnor i åldern 20–24 påverkas i sin konsumtion, även om det finns faktorer som har påverkan, såsom grupptryck, reklam, ekonomi, influencers eller klimatfrågan. Detta undersöks genom frågeställningen: Hur blir unga kvinnor påverkade av olika sociala medier i förhållande till sin umgängeskrets och sin egen konsumtion? Metoden för uppsatsens genomförande är av kvalitativ art, där intervjuer är grunden för datainsamling. Vi använde oss av denna metod för att få möjlighet till att hitta de mer djupgående tankarna, samt konsumtionsmönster hos våra intervjupersoner. Denna data gav oss möjlighet till att analysera hur kategorin unga kvinnor förhåller sig till vår frågeställning. Vi har analyserat vår insamlade data med teorierna sociala band av Thomas Scheff, subjektivitets fetischism av Zygmunt Bauman och övervakningskapitalism av Shoshana Zuboff. Vi kan genom denna studie se att unga kvinnor är medvetna om den påverkan som konsumtionsbeteenden har på klimatet. Vi kan även se en brist gällande hur de ser på sin egen påverkan på klimatet, samt det individuella ansvaret.

En publicerad studie avslöjar en överraskande brist på konsumenters medvetenhet kring storleken på deras garderober. Denna insikt pekar på en växande överkonsumtion och ett behov av att förenkla våra livsstilar. Tidigare forskning inom textil- och modeindustrin har visat att sektorn är en betydande förbrukare av resurser och en källa till föroreningar. Med tanke på en växande överkonsumtion och branschens miljöpåverkan, ämnar studien att undersöka vad konsumenters uppfattningar om hållbar klädkonsumtion och identifiera hur konsumenterna ser på begreppet hållbarhet när det gäller deras klädkonsumtion. För att besvara syftet används en kvalitativ metod och insamling av data genomfördes via garderobsundersökningar, som sedan följdes upp med semistrukturerade intervjuer med informanterna. För att tolka resultaten har de teoretiska perspektiven, consumer culture theory samt det performativa perspektivet använts. Resultatet av studien visar att det finns en mångfald i tolkningen av begreppet "hållbara kläder", vilket är starkt påverkat av individuella föreställningar och den kulturella och sociala kontexten. I resultatet kunde även en klyfta mellan föreställningar och köpbeteende identifieras, där konsumenternas faktiska köpbeteende inte alltid speglar deras uttalade värderingar kring hållbarhet. Trots uttalade önskemål att konsumera mer hållbart mode möter konsumenterna hinder i form av bristande tillgänglighet av information och priskänslighet. Insikter utifrån resultatet understryker ett behov av ökad tillgång till pålitlig information från företag. Bristen på tillförlitlig information från företag utgör en betydande utmaning för konsumenter som strävar efter att göra hållbara val och hindrar konsumenterna från att agera enligt sina värderingar. / A published study reveals a surprising lack of consumer awareness regarding the size of their wardrobes. This insight points to growing overconsumption and a need to simplify our lifestyles. Previous research within the textile and fashion industry has observed that the sector is a significant consumer of resources and a source of pollution. Given the increasing overconsumption and the industry's environmental impact, the study aims to investigate consumers' perceptions of sustainable clothing consumption and identify how consumers view the concept of sustainability in relation to their clothing consumption. To answer this purpose, a qualitative method was used, and data collection was conducted through wardrobe surveys, which were then followed up with semi-structured interviews with the informants. To interpret the results, the theoretical perspectives of consumer culture theory and the performative perspective were applied. The results of the study show a diversity in the interpretation of the concept of "sustainable clothing", which is strongly influenced by individual beliefs and the cultural and social context. The results also identified a gap between perceptions and purchasing behavior, where consumers' actual purchasing behavior does not always reflect their stated values regarding sustainability. Despite expressed desires to consume more sustainable fashion, consumers face obstacles such as a lack of accessible information and price sensitivity. Insights from the results highlight the need for increased access to reliable information from companies. The lack of reliable information from companies poses a significant challenge for consumers striving to make sustainable choices and prevents them from acting according to their values.

Social media influencers, particularly those focused on sustainable practices, significantly impact consumer be-havior and environmental consciousness, influencing purchasing decisions to political activism, thereby playing a pivotal role in addressing climate change. The purpose of this cumulative dissertation is to identify the influ-ence process, effect, and utilization of green influencers. This endeavor is structured around three manuscripts, each addressing distinct research inquiries. Paper A delves into the correlation between influencers and their followers, specifically examining how prior green consumer attitudes influence this relationship. Paper B focuses on the characteristics of effective messaging by green influencers, providing insights into how these influencers can most persuasively advocate for sustainable practices. Paper C conducts a comprehensive literature analysis of 44 research articles, concentrating on the characteristics of influencers and their audiences, as well as the communication strategies employed by influencers. Collectively, these papers offer marketers and policymakers a comprehensive framework for leveraging influencers to promote sustainable products and services effectively.

A small proportion of people claim to live and consume in ways they consider more sustainable in social and environmental terms. As yet, we do not know how many exactly, but possibly no more than 5-10% of the population. The thesis intentionally focuses on this minority finding there are at least three reasons why it is interesting to do so. First because they are all but ignored in sociologies of practice in the context of sustainable consumption which considers this minority an insignificance and focuses almost exclusively on 'mainstream' majority which more closely maps onto the stereotype of 'consumer society'. Second because we think we can learn much from juxtapositioning this group empirically against the spectrum of theories of practice to devise more robust and appropriate theoretical explanation of how these subjects, in the context of everyday practice, negotiate the many interpretations and contradictions involved in trying to put 'sustainability' into practice. Third because by understanding them better we can reflect on theoretical, empirical and policy implications for nudging this minority of the population to a higher percentage. The thesis sits at one end of a spectrum of positions in theories of practice applied to consumption, and in particular with a normative interest in sustainable consumption. It aligns with those who seek to re-insert the reflexive agent into accounts of practice, with particular reference to the conceptual construct of the 'citizen-consumer' and the context of political consumption (Spaargaren & Oosterveer 2010). Referring to theories of consumption, the thesis adds perspectives on how people negotiate multiple domains of consumption simultaneously since everyday practice involves interactions across multiple domains (such as eating, mobility, householding); and yet typically in theories of practice these are artificially separated into single domains. The study therefore considers the implications which domains have on how particular practices are carried out, first separately (per domain) and then as they come together (in a cross-cutting domain perspective). The study then takes theories of practice as a springboard to develop a theoretical position and framework which better fits the narrated accounts of the 37 subjects who participated in this study. In iteratively co-developing a theoretical framework and multiple 'stages' of empirical research (using grounded theory methodology) the study seeks to explain theoretically how subjects justify their 'doings' (drawing on 'conventions' and 'orders of worth' (Boltanski & Thévenot 2006)); how they appear to muddle through as best they can (introducing 'bricolage' (Lévi-Strauss 1972)); and how subjects appear to devise decision short-cuts when approaching decisions characterised by the multiple contradictions of sustainable consumption and incomplete or 'too much' information (introducing heuristics (Gigerenzer & Gaissmaier 2011)). In joining calls to re-insert the reflexive agent to account for how, when and why subjects enact changes towards trajectories which they consider 'more sustainable' in their own terms, the study takes inspiration from Margaret Archer's morphogenesis approach (1998) and explores her model of multiple modes of reflexivity, announcing certain modes as 'better fitting' conditions of late modernity. The study finally finds that contrary to a notion of the un-reflexive agent, the citizen-consumer is able to articulate visions of the 'good life'. In addition she is able to fold these visions back onto everyday practices performed in the past, present and future, laying out normative guidelines and positive accounts of how to achieve personal or societal well-being and happiness. The overarching positioning of the study is much inspired by Andrew Sayer's (2011; 2000) 'normative turn' calling upon social sciences to re-instate research into the things about which people care. The study is therefore guided by the overarching question of how people translate their environmental and/or social concerns into the ways in which they live and consume.

Depuis quelques temps, on note que les objets d’apparence artisanale symbolisent souvent des qualités écologiques telles que des matériaux naturels et une fabrication éthique. Les visées de l’étude ont été d’explorer les perceptions à l’égard des objets à caractère artisanal et cela, en vue de reconnaître quelles qualités écologiques sont attribuées à ces derniers, tout en tentant de comprendre les raisons qui se cachent derrière ces associations. Une étude auprès d’usagers a permis d’explorer l’ensemble des qualités pouvant être liées à ce type d’objet, en considérant plus précisément le rapport entre les qualités écologiques leur étant accordées et leur durée de vie projetée. Pour ce faire, au cours d’entretiens individuels, des thèmes comme l’appréciation à long terme, la signification et la considération de la diversité culturelle ont été examinés. Les résultats montrent entre autres que les objets à caractère artisanal sont caractérisés comme étant composés de matériaux naturels et sains pour la santé des usagers. Leur usure est reconnue comme éveillant les représentations quant à leur « histoire », alors que leur originalité leur confère une « âme ». Enfin, car ils sont considérés comme ayant été fabriqués par des créateurs autonomes, ces objets sont associés à des conditions de travail éthiques et sont perçus comme étant capables de faire tourner l’économie locale. Les renseignements recueillis peuvent informer les théories et la pratique en design industriel quant à la disposition des objets à caractère artisanal à être appréciés par les usagers, de leur durée de vie projetée et du désir de les entretenir et de les léguer. Ce projet constitue un premier répertoire des perceptions entourant ce type d’objet, un champ de recherche encore très peu documenté, malgré qu’il s’inscrive à l’intérieur d’un contexte environnemental et social bien actuel. Les résultats obtenus contribuent à leur façon à la perspective d’une conception, d’une fabrication et d’une consommation davantage viables. / In these days, artisanal-looking objects often symbolize ecological qualities such as natural materials and ethical production. The aims of the study were to explore perceptions towards artisanal looking objects and that, in order to recognize what ecological qualities are attributed to them, while trying to understand the reasons behind these associations. A study of users allowed to explore all the qualities that can be associated with this type of object, considering specifically the relationship between these environmental qualities and their planned lifespan. To do so, topics such as long-term appreciation, meaning and consideration of cultural diversity were examined during individual interviews. Results show that artisanal-looking objects are caracterized as objects being made of materials that are natural and safe for users. As well, their patina stimulates the perception of having a « story », and their originality gives the perception of the object having « soul ». Lastly, because they are considered as being made by independent designers, these objects are associated with ethical working conditions and are perceived as having the capability to drive the local economy. Among other things, the information gathered can inform theory and practice in the field of industrial design on the ability of artisanal-looking objects to be appreciated. Information can also shed light on their planned lifespan in regard to user’s level of emotional attachment, and on the desire of users to preserve and to bestow them upon future generations. This project stands as a first inventory of perceptions pertaining to this type of object, a field of research not yet well documented although it is in line with the current environmental and social context. The obtained results, therefore, contribute to the ongoing project of a more sustainable design, production and consumption.

I denna studie presenteras forskning om 90-talisters attityder till ekologisk hållbarkonsumtion. Studien är skriven utifrån ett kvalitativt angreppssätt där datainsamlingen har skett genom två fokusgrupper, en med män och en med kvinnor. Syftet är att undersöka 90-talisters attityd till ekologisk hållbar konsumtion och besvaras genom tre frågeställningar. De två första frågeställningarna berör motiv och ansvar för ekologisk hållbar konsumtion och den tredje är en jämförelse mellan kön. Analysen grundar sig i ett teoretiskt ramverk med Schwartz grundläggande värderingar och Locus of Control. Studiens resultat visar att 90-talisters attityder till ekologisk hållbar konsumtion i allmänhet är positiv och komplex. De värderingar som framkom i diskussionerna tar uttryck i motiv som pris, smak, hälsa och omvärldsrelaterade motiv. Attityder till vem som har ansvaret till att utveckla en ekologisk hållbar konsumtion skiljer sig mellan individerna men de är överens om att situationen är komplex och svår att reda ut. Några av deltagarna vill att staten eller företagen ska ta tag i problemet medan andra anser att de själva som individer har ett stort ansvar. Vissa attityder och värderingar skiljer sig mellan männen och kvinnorna, men i bådagrupperna finns olika argument och det går inte att dra direkta slutsatser mellan könen. Gemensamt för båda grupperna är att de själva anser att de saknar kunskap om vad ekologiskhållbar konsumtion innebär. Denna studie bidrar med en viss förståelse för hur 90-talister ser på ekologisk hållbarkonsumtion och vad de anser krävs för att utveckla en hållbar konsumtion. För att få ett mergeneraliserbart resultat skulle en kvantitativ studie rekommenderas till framtida forskning. / This study presents research on 90's generation’s attitudes to organic sustainable consumption. The study is written from a qualitative approach where data has been collected through two focus groups, one with men and one with women. The purpose is to examine the attitude of the 90’s generation to organic sustainable consumption and will be answered by three questions. The two first questions concerns the motivation and responsibility for organic sustainable consumption and the third is a comparison between gender. Analyzes are based on a theoretical framework with Schwartz Theory of Basic Values and Locus of Control. The results of the study shows that the attitudes to organic sustainable consumption are generally positive and complex. The values that emerged in the discussions expresses motives such as price, taste, health and environmental motives. Attitudes toward who is responsible to develop an organic sustainable consumption differs between the respondents, however they understand that the situation is complex and difficult to solve. Some of the participants believes the state or companies should deal with the problem, while some believe it is themselves as individuals who has the responsibility. Some attitudes and values differ between men and women, but there are different arguments in both groups and direct conclusions cannot be drawn between the genders. Both groups believe they have a lack of knowledge about what organic sustainable consumption means. This study contributes to a certain understanding of the 90’s generation view on sustainable consumption and what they consider necessary to develop a sustainable consumption. In order to achieve a more generalizable result, a quantitative study would be recommended for future research. This study is written in swedish.

<p>Coffee is a much enjoyed everyday-luxury in many parts of the world. It is not only enjoyed as a stimulant but also for social activities. “Fika” is a Swedish word which is difficult to translate and basically means to-have-coffee-with-friends. Coffee is so loved in Sweden that the average Swede consumes about nine and a half kilogram per year. But coffee often comes with a bitter aftertaste of environmental degradation and social injustice. Pesticide use is one of the environmental problems; some of the most dangerous ones are used in coffee productions. When it comes to social aspects world market prices on coffee has been very low for about two decades. At its worst coffee farmers were paid about a quarter of the production price for their coffee. This has led to a situation of wide spread financial debt, poverty, and sometimes even starvation among farmers. One solution which some farmers take is drug production. Coca is easy to grow and gives high revenue, which may make it appealing to a desperate coffee farmer. Another option can be provided by responsible corporations and concerned consumers –a fair pay.</p><p>The coffee sector in general and Swedish coffee roasting company Löfbergs Lila AB in particular are used as a case study for this thesis focal point which is the correlation between consumer power and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). The large social and environmental problems in the coffee sector make it an area where voluntary responsibilities from consumers and businesses can have a very large positive impact. Sales numbers of organically produced and Fairtrade labelled coffee are increasing due to consumer demand. It is clear that consumer power is one of the cornerstones of CSR. When consumers ask for socially and ecologically sustainable goods corporations can produce these goods with an economical gain, thus a win-win situation occurs for corporate profit and the social-/environmental sphere. Both consumer demand and the possibility for corporate profit seams to be prerequisites for CSR.</p><p>It is clear that voluntary approaches to sustainable development such as consumer choice and CSR can lead to many positive changes; however concerns arise when it comes to the fulfilment of sustainable development. The ecological footprint gives us a number for the worlds’ total over consumption and it shows that to fulfil sustainable development as defined in “Our common future”, also known as the Brundtland commission, most western countries would have to reduce their total consumption by approximately 75 %. Consumers are driven by many other factors than social and environmental concerns, and companies and corporations have shown many times that there is much talk in CSR but little is actually done. This leads to the conclusion that although some positive changes occur, voluntary actions such as CSR and consumer power/choice will probably not be enough to lead us to a sustainable development.</p>

Coffee is a much enjoyed everyday-luxury in many parts of the world. It is not only enjoyed as a stimulant but also for social activities. “Fika” is a Swedish word which is difficult to translate and basically means to-have-coffee-with-friends. Coffee is so loved in Sweden that the average Swede consumes about nine and a half kilogram per year. But coffee often comes with a bitter aftertaste of environmental degradation and social injustice. Pesticide use is one of the environmental problems; some of the most dangerous ones are used in coffee productions. When it comes to social aspects world market prices on coffee has been very low for about two decades. At its worst coffee farmers were paid about a quarter of the production price for their coffee. This has led to a situation of wide spread financial debt, poverty, and sometimes even starvation among farmers. One solution which some farmers take is drug production. Coca is easy to grow and gives high revenue, which may make it appealing to a desperate coffee farmer. Another option can be provided by responsible corporations and concerned consumers –a fair pay. The coffee sector in general and Swedish coffee roasting company Löfbergs Lila AB in particular are used as a case study for this thesis focal point which is the correlation between consumer power and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). The large social and environmental problems in the coffee sector make it an area where voluntary responsibilities from consumers and businesses can have a very large positive impact. Sales numbers of organically produced and Fairtrade labelled coffee are increasing due to consumer demand. It is clear that consumer power is one of the cornerstones of CSR. When consumers ask for socially and ecologically sustainable goods corporations can produce these goods with an economical gain, thus a win-win situation occurs for corporate profit and the social-/environmental sphere. Both consumer demand and the possibility for corporate profit seams to be prerequisites for CSR. It is clear that voluntary approaches to sustainable development such as consumer choice and CSR can lead to many positive changes; however concerns arise when it comes to the fulfilment of sustainable development. The ecological footprint gives us a number for the worlds’ total over consumption and it shows that to fulfil sustainable development as defined in “Our common future”, also known as the Brundtland commission, most western countries would have to reduce their total consumption by approximately 75 %. Consumers are driven by many other factors than social and environmental concerns, and companies and corporations have shown many times that there is much talk in CSR but little is actually done. This leads to the conclusion that although some positive changes occur, voluntary actions such as CSR and consumer power/choice will probably not be enough to lead us to a sustainable development.

Depuis quelques temps, on note que les objets d’apparence artisanale symbolisent souvent des qualités écologiques telles que des matériaux naturels et une fabrication éthique. Les visées de l’étude ont été d’explorer les perceptions à l’égard des objets à caractère artisanal et cela, en vue de reconnaître quelles qualités écologiques sont attribuées à ces derniers, tout en tentant de comprendre les raisons qui se cachent derrière ces associations. Une étude auprès d’usagers a permis d’explorer l’ensemble des qualités pouvant être liées à ce type d’objet, en considérant plus précisément le rapport entre les qualités écologiques leur étant accordées et leur durée de vie projetée. Pour ce faire, au cours d’entretiens individuels, des thèmes comme l’appréciation à long terme, la signification et la considération de la diversité culturelle ont été examinés. Les résultats montrent entre autres que les objets à caractère artisanal sont caractérisés comme étant composés de matériaux naturels et sains pour la santé des usagers. Leur usure est reconnue comme éveillant les représentations quant à leur « histoire », alors que leur originalité leur confère une « âme ». Enfin, car ils sont considérés comme ayant été fabriqués par des créateurs autonomes, ces objets sont associés à des conditions de travail éthiques et sont perçus comme étant capables de faire tourner l’économie locale. Les renseignements recueillis peuvent informer les théories et la pratique en design industriel quant à la disposition des objets à caractère artisanal à être appréciés par les usagers, de leur durée de vie projetée et du désir de les entretenir et de les léguer. Ce projet constitue un premier répertoire des perceptions entourant ce type d’objet, un champ de recherche encore très peu documenté, malgré qu’il s’inscrive à l’intérieur d’un contexte environnemental et social bien actuel. Les résultats obtenus contribuent à leur façon à la perspective d’une conception, d’une fabrication et d’une consommation davantage viables. / In these days, artisanal-looking objects often symbolize ecological qualities such as natural materials and ethical production. The aims of the study were to explore perceptions towards artisanal looking objects and that, in order to recognize what ecological qualities are attributed to them, while trying to understand the reasons behind these associations. A study of users allowed to explore all the qualities that can be associated with this type of object, considering specifically the relationship between these environmental qualities and their planned lifespan. To do so, topics such as long-term appreciation, meaning and consideration of cultural diversity were examined during individual interviews. Results show that artisanal-looking objects are caracterized as objects being made of materials that are natural and safe for users. As well, their patina stimulates the perception of having a « story », and their originality gives the perception of the object having « soul ». Lastly, because they are considered as being made by independent designers, these objects are associated with ethical working conditions and are perceived as having the capability to drive the local economy. Among other things, the information gathered can inform theory and practice in the field of industrial design on the ability of artisanal-looking objects to be appreciated. Information can also shed light on their planned lifespan in regard to user’s level of emotional attachment, and on the desire of users to preserve and to bestow them upon future generations. This project stands as a first inventory of perceptions pertaining to this type of object, a field of research not yet well documented although it is in line with the current environmental and social context. The obtained results, therefore, contribute to the ongoing project of a more sustainable design, production and consumption.