Promoting sustainable energy consumption in an emerging market

This research provides important implications for policy makers and organisations trying to improve environmental sustainability by encouraging energy efficient behaviours in an emerging market. Increasingly energy consumption has been identified as the major driver of many serious environmental issues that threaten the planet and social welfare. Promoting the manufacture and consumption of energy efficient products is therefore of utmost importance. In this regard investment in energy efficient products appears to offer the greater potential for energy conservation compared to energy curtailment. This study investigates determinants that may encourage or hinder consumers’ purchases of energy efficient household electrical appliances. Structured questionnaires were administered to over 600 consumers who visited busy electronics and appliance specialist stores in two major cities in Vietnam. Data analysis reveals that consumers’ purchases are faciliated by their knowledge of energy efficient electrical appliances, environmental attitudes and moral norms. In contrast, the customers’ perceived barriers that impede purchase of these environmentally sustainable products relate to affordability, the extra effort involved in finding suitable products, as well as the credibility of energy efficient rating labels. These findings should facilitate the development of recommendations for policy makers, environmental organisations and social marketers engaged in the promotion of energy efficient products.