Agenda 2030 and COVID-19: A Young Consumer’s Perception of Sustainable Consumption

Maria Francesca Renzi (), Veronica Ungaro, Laura Di Pietro, Roberta Guglielmetti Mugion and Maria Giovina Pasca
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Maria Francesca Renzi: Department of Business Studies, Roma Tre University, 00146 Rome, Italy
Veronica Ungaro: Department of Business Studies, Roma Tre University, 00146 Rome, Italy
Laura Di Pietro: Department of Business Studies, Roma Tre University, 00146 Rome, Italy
Roberta Guglielmetti Mugion: Department of Business Studies, Roma Tre University, 00146 Rome, Italy
Maria Giovina Pasca: Faculty of Economics, Niccolò Cusano University, 00166 Rome, Italy

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 23, 1-20

Abstract: COVID-19 threatens sustainable development and is a potential opportunity for downsizing the consumer economy. The virus’s impacts on society are still unclear and additional contributions are required to investigate its effects on sustainable consumer behaviours. The paper aims to evaluate consumers’ awareness regarding the emergency impacts on the 2030 Agenda SDGs achievement and sustainable consumption (SDG 12) in terms of societal and environmentally responsible behaviour. A qualitative study is planned to reach the research goal and 133 in-depth consumer interviews are performed. The sample is composed of young students informed on sustainability topics and issues. The thematic analysis is used to assess the data. The paper contributes to the existing literature about the 2030 Agenda and young consumers’ sustainable behaviours by identifying the goal perceived by respondents as most negatively and positively impacted by the crisis and detecting those that can help overcome the emergency. Five themes (Social factors, Knowledge, Habits, Values, and Price) describing the main young consumer behaviour dimensions influenced by COVID-19 and lockdown in sustainability and social responsibility are detected. A theoretical framework is proposed to describe the effects of the five themes on sustainable behaviours. Finally, a roadmap for future research is identified.

Keywords: sustainable consumer behaviour; sustainability; social responsibility; sustainable consumption; COVID-19; 2030 agenda (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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