ABSTRACT
It is widely acknowledged that our consumption patterns are not sustainable in the longer term, especially given the many environmental problems caused by production and consumption (UNEP, 2012a). To overcome mounting threats to the environment, public health and the economy, society needs to steer towards a more sustainable development path (IPCC WG3, 2014), including a better balance between economic, social and environmental goals now and in the future (World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987). It is well documented that in order to reach a more sustainable society, it is necessary to change individual consumption patterns among affluent consumers (IPCC WG3, 2014; UNEP, 2012b). Therefore, there is an increasing focus in national and international politics on how to promote consumer behaviour that is more sustainable in the longer run. Psychology research, examining the underlying motivations of human behaviour (including consumption behaviour), is useful in this connection. Unravelling human motivations enables us to develop interventions aiming to change individual consumer behaviour (Thøgersen, 2014a).
