Abstract

This study explores the impact of human behaviour on spaceship earth. It also explores the possibilities systems thinking offers to address complex problems such as climate change by influencing human behaviour. This study hypothesizes that the level of information the consumer knows about the ecological footprint of a product has an impact on his purchasing decisions in favour of the environment. The hypothesis was tested by running an experiment on an online shopping experience. Fourteen respondents completed the two phases of the experiment and answered two questionnaires. They were followed by 4 in-depth interviews. The analysis measured if there is a statistically significant difference between the two means of before and after the exposure. The exposure introduces the product’s CO2e’s offset value in a fictional currency called Enviram as part of an eco-labelling scheme. With a P-Value<.01 the difference is statistically significant between the before and after being exposed to the information. The results indicate a potential for influencing consumers’ behaviour to be more environmentally friendly by using an eco labelling scheme. Due to the small sample size and the online-only experiment, further work is needed to confirm the results.

Publication Date

5-2021

Document Type

Master's Project

Student Type

Graduate

Degree Name

Professional Studies - City Sciences (MS)

Department, Program, or Center

Graduate Programs & Research

Advisor

Sanjay Modak

Advisor/Committee Member

Ghalib Kahwaji

Campus

RIT Dubai

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