Explaining green technology purchases by US and Canadian households: the role of pro-environmental lifestyles, values, and environmental concern

Household energy consumption is a significant driver of greenhouse gas emissions associated with global climate change. Thus, identifying social and psychological determinants of household-level consumption warrants further study. Using nationally representative samples from Canada (N = 1220) and the USA (N = 1001), we examine the impact of three categories of behavioral antecedents on decision to purchase energy-efficient technology: values, environmental concern, and lifestyle orientation. Green lifestyle orientation refers to the importance of environmental action to one's overall lifestyle, a theory that has been primarily explained through qualitative methods. We report three key findings comparing US and Canadian green technology purchasing intentions. The results of three structural equation models suggest the presence of a relationship between biospheric and altruistic values, environmental concern, and green lifestyle orientation that predict green technology purchasing intention in both samples. Additionally, income has a strong effect on purchase intentions in both US and Canadian consumers. Other sociodemographic factors also influence potential purchases and identifying as female was positively related to electric vehicle purchase intention in the US sample, but this relationship did not hold in the Canadian sample. We suggest that future research continue to explore pro-environmental behaviors not in isolation, but as integrated within broader green lifestyle perceptions and contexts.

Automated summary

The study shows that ecological and altruistic values, environmental concern, and green lifestyle orientation have a significant impact on green technology purchase intention in both US and Canadian consumers. Additionally, income has a strong effect on purchase intentions, and other sociodemographic factors also influence potential purchases.