TY - JOUR

T1 - The impact of voluntary sustainability adjustments on greenhouse gas emissions from food consumption

T2 - The case of Denmark

AU - Nordström, Jonas

AU - Denver, Sigrid

PY - 2024

Y1 - 2024

N2 - In this study we ask how a range of environmental sustainability adjustments that consumers find it easy to adopt affect the carbon footprint of their food consumption. The study is based on information about real purchases of food products and responses to a questionnaire about the various sustainability adjustments that the study participants apply and their concern about climate change. Based on principal component and regression analysis the results from the study indicate that sustainability adjustments such as organic consumption, buying domestically produced food and eating seasonal produce, as well as concern about climate change, are associated with a reduced carbon footprint from food consumption. The largest reductions were found for organic consumers. The results suggested that most committed organic consumers have a carbon footprint that is about one third smaller than that of consumers who seldom buy organic food products. The results also indicate that these voluntary sustainability adjustments are not sufficient to secure conformity with today’s goals for reduced greenhouse gas emissions.

AB - In this study we ask how a range of environmental sustainability adjustments that consumers find it easy to adopt affect the carbon footprint of their food consumption. The study is based on information about real purchases of food products and responses to a questionnaire about the various sustainability adjustments that the study participants apply and their concern about climate change. Based on principal component and regression analysis the results from the study indicate that sustainability adjustments such as organic consumption, buying domestically produced food and eating seasonal produce, as well as concern about climate change, are associated with a reduced carbon footprint from food consumption. The largest reductions were found for organic consumers. The results suggested that most committed organic consumers have a carbon footprint that is about one third smaller than that of consumers who seldom buy organic food products. The results also indicate that these voluntary sustainability adjustments are not sufficient to secure conformity with today’s goals for reduced greenhouse gas emissions.

U2 - 10.1016/j.clrc.2023.100164

DO - 10.1016/j.clrc.2023.100164

M3 - Journal article

VL - 12

JO - Cleaner and Responsible Consumption

JF - Cleaner and Responsible Consumption

SN - 2666-7843

M1 - 100164

ER -