Inside the Green Mind: Drivers, Barriers and Misconceptions in Sustainable Consumption

This book explores the intricate dynamics of sustainable consumption, focusing on the gap between consumer perceptions and actual impact. Despite widespread endorsement of sustainability, high-impact behaviors remain underadopted and misperceived. Through a unique blend of systematic literature review, qualitative interviews, and a comprehensive survey of the Italian population, the authors investigate the barriers and drivers of sustainable consumption. They pay particular attention to the perceived impact and sacrifices associated with transformative shifts in consumption patterns, offering a nuanced understanding of sustainable decision-making.

Key concepts include consumer misperceptions, behavioral barriers, and the cultural narratives shaping sustainability discourses in Italy. The authors provide original insights into the psychological traits influencing sustainable choices, making this book a must-read for those interested in aligning consumer behavior with high-impact sustainable practices. By uncovering the misalignments between intentions and behaviors, the book contributes to climate action debates and offers actionable insights for policymakers and practitioners.

Ideal for scholars, educators, and policymakers, this book is a valuable resource for anyone interested in promoting effective climate engagement strategies. It is particularly relevant for those in marketing, consumer behavior, psychology, and environmental studies, offering evidence-based insights to lower perceived barriers and encourage high-impact behaviors.

Ludovica Serafini is a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Salento, Lecce, Italy. Prior to joining the University of Salento, she earned her Ph.D. from the University of Calabria, specialising in Consumer Behaviour. She also completed a visiting research period at City St George's, University of London, where she further refined her training in experimental methods in consumer research. She is currently involved in research projects on sustainable consumption, investigating barriers and potential drivers from a consumer perspective. She teaches Marketing and Consumer Behaviour courses at Luiss Guido Carli University, Rome, where she is also a Research Fellow at the X.ITE Research Centre. Her main research interests include consumer behaviour, sustainable consumption, as well as the cognitive, emotional, and contextual factors shaping responsible consumer choices, with a growing interest in human–AI interaction and technology-mediated consumption.

Alessandro M. Peluso is Full Professor of Business Management at the University of Salento (Lecce) and Adjunct Professor of Sustainable Marketing at LUISS Guido Carli University and of Marketing Research at LUISS Business School (Rome). His research interests are in marketing with a focus on social communication, elderly consumer behavior, and sustainable consumption. He has published four research monographs and over 80 articles in international peer-reviewed journals. He serves as principal investigator for funded research projects on older consumer behaviors (PRIN 2022) and on sustainable consumption (ECOPOL ENAL, GRINS PNRR).