Assessing eco-label knowledge and sustainable consumption behavior in energy sector of Pakistan: an environmental sustainability paradigm

The energy needs of Pakistan have increased many folds in recent years due to improved lifestyle, ever-increasing population, and economic development. Though the government and private sectors are considering efficient energy resources to overcome energy scarcity in the country, studies focusing on assessing consumers' sustainable consumption behavior in the form of energy-saving home appliances are limited in the country. This study aims to address this research gap and also contribute by augmenting the theoretical mechanism of the theory of planned behavior by including three unique dimensions (eco-label knowledge, attitude toward environment, and customer green trust) to comprehensively analyze sustainable consumption behavior in the Pakistani context. An analysis is performed on survey data of 631 consumers in the four largest cities of Pakistan: Karachi, Lahore, Faisalabad, and Islamabad. For the purpose of evaluating formulated hypotheses, the structural equation modeling approach is employed. Empirical findings suggest that eco-label knowledge positively and significantly influences attitude toward environment and consumer green trust. Similarly, attitude toward environment and consumer green trust has a positive and significant influence on purchase intention. Moreover, a significant positive relationship exists between consumer green trust and purchase intention. The research outcomes further disclose that purchase intention positively and significantly influence paying attention to environmental labels. These findings contribute to the literature on sustainable consumption behavior and provide academics and practitioners with future directions to transform social norms, raise consumers' awareness, and redesign policy frameworks through integrative and consistent efforts.