Researchers recently examined the purchasing behaviours of green and non-green consumers in Finland, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, aiming to understand how attitudes towards sustainability align with broader consumer profiles. The study considered factors influencing buying decisions, including income level, product quality, local production, price, brand appeal, and fashionability. By comparing these factors, the researchers sought to reveal the underlying motivations that drive green purchasing behaviour and the barriers that prevent broader adoption of sustainable choices.

Finland emerged as a distinctive leader in green consumption, setting itself apart with a unique subgroup known as modest green consumers. Unlike their premium counterparts, these modest green shoppers place a high value on ecological awareness but are less concerned with brand prestige, fashion trends, or product quality. This group, found exclusively in Finland, tends to be older, with lower average incomes, and predominantly female. This demographic reflects a mindset where sustainability is prioritised over status, possibly linked to the country’s agrarian roots and a cultural emphasis on resourcefulness.

Interestingly, the distribution of green consumers varies significantly across the three countries. In Finland, slightly more than a quarter of all consumers prioritise greenness in their purchasing decisions, roughly split between premium green consumers, who care about sustainability and quality, and the more frugal, modest green segment. The share of premium green consumers in Sweden is notably smaller, at just under one-fifth. In contrast, only 12% of consumers in the United Kingdom fall into this category, highlighting a significant disparity in green consumer engagement.

Professor Terhi-Anna Wilska, the principal investigator, observed an intriguing trend: “It is interesting that green consumers today often care about brands and fashionability, even though their overall share remains relatively small.” She also highlighted the uniqueness of the modest green group in Finland, suggesting that this mindset may be rooted in the country’s agrarian heritage, where older generations continue to prioritise ecological values over more modern, status-driven concerns. This finding suggests that cultural background and historical context significantly shape consumer attitudes towards sustainability.

Despite this strong green awareness in Finland, many consumers remain indifferent to ecological considerations. Slightly over one-fifth of all Finnish consumers fall into the non-green category, displaying little concern for the environmental impact of their purchases. Surprisingly, this figure is even higher in Sweden, where more than a quarter of shoppers ignore sustainability in their buying choices. In contrast, the United Kingdom has a smaller share of non-green consumers, with fewer than one in six adopting this approach, indicating a potentially more widespread cultural acceptance of sustainability, albeit on a smaller scale.

The study challenges some conventional assumptions about the barriers to green consumption. According to Wilska, “It is a general belief that most consumers would prefer to buy ecological products, but that practical constraints like price and lack of knowledge stand in the way. However, our findings suggest that for a significant portion of consumers, the barrier is more about attitude than practical limitations – a point that warrants further investigation.” This insight shifts the focus from purely economic or informational barriers to a deeper consideration of cultural values and consumer mindsets, suggesting that promoting sustainable consumption may require more than just making green products affordable and visible.

More information: Terhi-Anna Wilska et al, Profiles of green and non-green consumers: A three-country study, Cleaner and Responsible Consumption. DOI: 10.1016/j.clrc.2025.100260

Journal information: Cleaner and Responsible Consumption Provided by University of Jyväskylä – Jyväskylän yliopisto