Politics Play a Role in Green Purchases

July 8, 2013- Buying an energy-efficient appliance or light bulb would seem like a pretty straightforward eco-friendly activity, but it gets complicated once a consumer’s politics come into play.

A study from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School shows that a consumer’s political views affect under what conditions they’ll buy energy-efficient products, at least when those products are more expensive and when they are labeled environmentally friendly. Take away the label or offer the energy-efficient product at the same price, then politics don’t matter.

People who are politically liberal are inclined to buy the energy miser products – whether or not packaging promotes that it’s environmentally sound, the study found.

Politically conservative people tend to reject energy-efficiency if environmental impact or climate change buttons are pushed. But it doesn’t mean they don’t like energy efficiency. If a policy touts that it supports energy independence or reduces energy costs, the conservative will support it.

Thomas Dietz of the Michigan State University’s Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability and colleagues muse about these consumer complexities in a commentary featured in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. They discuss this study from the Wharton School. Bottom line: There’s a difference between supporting energy-efficient policy and energy-efficient products. And both are affected by politics.

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