Sustainability Across the Status Spectrum: The S-Shaped Relationship Between Social Status and Green Consumption | CU Experts

The relationship between social status and green consumption is pivotal in addressing the climate crisis, yet previous research reveals conflicting perspectives. We analyze a nationally representative panel survey of more than 63,000 British respondents, tracking their green consumption, attitudes, and behaviors across multiple years. The findings reveal a previously unidentified S-shaped relationship between social status and green consumption, challenging existing models that propose inverted U-shaped, negative linear, or positive linear associations. This S curve demonstrates a gradual increase in green consumption at lower levels of social status, followed by a steep rise in the middle range and then a leveling off among the highest-status individuals. Crucially, this pattern persists even when we control for income, with high-status individuals exhibiting stronger proenvironmental attitudes and engaging more in nonpecuniary green behaviors. These findings offer insights for policymakers and marketers aiming to promote eco-friendly behaviors across socioeconomic segments.

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