Narratives, Greenwashing, and Sustainable Consumption: An Experimental Study

This study investigates how didactical information about either green and sustainable practices or greenwashing activities of firms affects consumers’ beliefs and attitudes towards sustainability. Modern corporations often engage in communicating their activities related to sustainability with new product and marketing campaigns; however, in some cases, this communication does not correspond to a real commitment towards sustainability, resulting in Greenwashing. Jay Westervelt defines greenwashing as a corporate strategy where more resources are allocated to portraying an environmentally friendly image rather than implementing genuinely sustainable practices. Companies employ terms such as “eco-friendly,” “natural,” and “green” to market products in a manner that misleads consumers about their true environmental impact. This phenomenon raises legal and ethical concerns and critically affects consumer behaviour. This research uses a survey experiment to investigate the behavioural impacts of didactical information about firms’ sustainability or greenwashing activities using AI-generated videos. By analyzing consumer reactions to information about firms’ (un)sustainable practices, we assess how knowledge about firms behavior towards sustainability exacerbates consumers' beliefs and attitudes towards sustainable consumption, green policies, and activism. The survey experiment tests the hypothesis of weather information about firms’ sustainable (greenwashing) practices can lead to misleading consumers and create confusion and apathy, influencing their sustainable purchase decisions and attitudes towards sustainability. In this experimental survey, the participants are divided into three groups: Treatment A, Treatment B, and the control group. In Treatment A, the participants are primed with an AI-generated didactical video of corporate sustainability practices; in Treatment B, the participants are shown an AI-generated video informing them about the firm’s practices of greenwashing; and in the active control group, participants watch an AI-generated video of an unrelated topic, namely, the rise of online grocery shopping. Before watching the video treatments, participants are asked about their personal characteristics and prior beliefs regarding sustainability and related topics. After the treatments, they answer a series of questions on sustainability, consumption, and activism. For instance, to measure consumption patterns, participants choose among three product types: greenwashed, sustainable, and regular. They are also asked about their updated beliefs concerning their own level of environmental concern, as well as their trust in corporate sustainability initiatives. Finally, participants are presented with questions on activism, where they must choose between actions such as sharing a post about corporate sustainability initiatives and/or signing a petition demanding that polluters pay for their environmental impact and support communities most affected by the climate crisis. The survey data are used to test 5 main hypotheses using descriptive statistics and regression analysis.