Explaining the Green Marketing–Behavior Gap: Why Sustainability Initiatives Fail To Influence Consumer Purchasing in an Emerging Market

Background and Purpose: The increasing emphasis on environmental sustainability has encouraged organizations to adopt green marketing strategies to promote environmentally responsible consumption. However, a persistent discrepancy remains between consumer awareness of sustainability issues and actual purchasing behavior, commonly referred to as the green marketing–behavior gap. This study aims to examine the influence of eco-labeling, green advertising, corporate social responsibility (CSR), and sustainable packaging on sustainable product choices among Malaysian consumers and to explore the extent to which green marketing initiatives translate into behavioral outcomes.

Green marketing, Sustainable consumption, Consumer trust, Behavioral gap

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