Environmental consciousness and EF behaviour

As a result of environmental damage caused by products, production processes and

environmental disasters, environmentalism has, over the past three decades, become an
important issue (Easterling et al., 1996). For consumers, the 1960s may be described as a
time of awakening'', the 1970s as a take action'' period, the 1980s as an accountable''
time, and the 1990s as a power in the marketplace'' era (Makower, 1993). During this
period consumers appear to have became aware of the fact that the environment is more
fragile than they once believed, and that there are limits to the use of natural resources
(Krause, 1993). This, in turn, stimulated a widespread feeling that the time for corrective
action has arrived (Buttel and Flynn, 1974; Lipsey, 1977; Roper Organisation, 1990; Ladd,
1990; Shabecoff, 1993).

By the end of the 1980s, increasing numbers of consumers described themselves as

environmentalists (Fisher, 1990; Cross, 1990; Donaton and Fitzerald, 1992) and a number of
opinion polls indicating an expressed desire to protect the environment emerged (Carlson et
al., 1993). Despite the obvious limitations of such publications (Denzin, 1989; Oskamp et al,
1991; Phillips, 1971) there is clear evidence of an upward trend in consumers' environmental
concern, with the period between 1972 and 1991 exhibiting an accelerating pattern (Roberts
and Bacon, 1997). In more recent years there is evidence to suggest that a plateau has been
reached (Stisser, 1994).

The 1986 NOP study indicated an 8 per cent level of environmental concern while the
corresponding percentages of the 1989 NOP, and the 1991 and 1993 Guardian/ICM studies
were 33 per cent, 69 per cent and 71 per cent.

Heightened environmental concern has been reflected in increased intention to purchase EF

products. More specifically it has been suggested that consumers with a higher level of
environmental concern will be more likely to engage in EF consumer behaviour (Antil, 1984;
Roberts, 1991; Sheltzer et al., 1991; Shabecoff, 1993). These claims have been supported by
a number of surveys carried out between 1989 and 1990 which reported a dramatic increase
in the number of consumers expressing environmental concerns and claiming to have
purchased EF products (see Gerstman and Meyers Inc., 1989; Gallup, 1990; Mandese, 1991).

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