A study on a configuration model for facilitating sustainable consumption: A case involving the automobile industry in Italy

An information transition gap exists between cleaner production and Sustainable consumption. A previous study shows that adequate product-level sustainability information should be available to consumers. A set of product-level sustainability attributes that capture influencing factors to facilitate sustainable consumption behavior have been proposed. However, the weight of each attribute needs to be determined when these attributes are applied to a specific industry. Therefore, this study aims to further develop a configuration model for the automobile industry by using the knowledge of Italian experts. In this study, semi-structured interviews of experts were conducted, and the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) was applied to collect data for determining the weights of attributes. The data was analyzed by using an AHP software called Super Decisions. This study is the most important step in obtaining accurate weights of attributes in a specific industry from experts. The individual result of each case and their aggregate results regarding the prominence of attributes have been obtained. This configuration model integrated the social and environmental impact of a product for the first time and aims to provide this information to consumers. Furthermore, in the context of a specific industry, the weight of each attribute was provided to further develop an information transition tool to facilitate sustainable consumption. The proposed model is expected to contribute to the studies of developing an information transition approach to promote sustainable consumption and production. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.