Consumerism, sustainable consumption, and consumer citizenship in the Indian context

Binnuri, Anuradha; M, Rajanikanth Article Consumerism, sustainable consumption, and consumer citizenship in the Indian context Cogent Business & Management Provided in Cooperation with: Taylor & Francis Group Suggested Citation: Binnuri, Anuradha; M, Rajanikanth (2024) : Consumerism, sustainable consumption, and consumer citizenship in the Indian context, Cogent Business & Management, ISSN 2331-1975, Taylor & Francis, Abingdon, Vol. 11, Iss. 1, pp. 1-12, https://doi.org/10.1080/23311975.2024.2428777 This Version is available at: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/326686 Standard-Nutzungsbedingungen: Die Dokumente auf EconStor dürfen zu eigenen wissenschaftlichen Zwecken und zum Privatgebrauch gespeichert und kopiert werden. Sie dürfen die Dokumente nicht für öffentliche oder kommerzielle Zwecke vervielfältigen, öffentlich ausstellen, öffentlich zugänglich machen, vertreiben oder anderweitig nutzen. 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If the documents have been made available under an Open Content Licence (especially Creative Commons Licences), you may exercise further usage rights as specified in the indicated licence. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Cogent Business & Management ISSN: 2331-1975 (Online) Journal homepage: www.tandfonline.com/journals/oabm20 Consumerism, sustainable consumption, and consumer citizenship in the Indian context Anuradha Binnuri & Rajanikanth M To cite this article: Anuradha Binnuri & Rajanikanth M (2024) Consumerism, sustainable consumption, and consumer citizenship in the Indian context, Cogent Business & Management, 11:1, 2428777, DOI: 10.1080/23311975.2024.2428777 To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/23311975.2024.2428777 © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group Published online: 18 Nov 2024. Submit your article to this journal Article views: 1512 View related articles View Crossmark data Citing articles: 2 View citing articles Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at https://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=oabm20 Cogent Business & ManageMent 2024, VoL. 11, no. 1, 2428777 Consumerism, sustainable consumption, and consumer citizenship in the Indian context Anuradha Binnuria and Rajanikanth Mb asymbiosis Law school, symbiosis international (Deemed university), Pune, india; bgitaM school of Business, gitaM Deemed to be university, Hyderabad, india ABSTRACT The 20th century witnessed a surge in global economic activities, which propelled the growth of the consumer movement. Unfortunately, this also results in the overconsumption of natural resources, endangering the sustainability of society, the economy, and the environment. Consumption-oriented market-driven marketing practices encourage unsustainable production and consumption. Consumers must protect their rights in the marketplace without negatively impact the resources of future generations. Consumption patterns in the market lead to depletion of societal resources. All human consumption-related activities impact the environment; therefore, it is necessary to change consumer values and lifestyles to ensure that consumption leads to sustainability. Changes in consumers’ attitudes, behaviors, and lifestyles towards the environment lead to sustainable consumption. A consumer citizen is a consumer who is conscious of society and the environment and purchases products with no adverse consequences. In this regard, this conceptual study proposes consumer citizenship as a tool for addressing both consumer protection and sustainable consumer issues. Data were collected from secondary sources. This study is limited to the Indian context when dealing with consumer protection laws and regulations. The paper concludes that consumer awareness and active participation are needed for a sustainable future, and consumer citizenship can be a better solution to encourage sustainable consumption. 1. Introduction The idea of consumer protection dates back to ancient times, and is as old as human civilization (Rajanikanth, 2017). The exploitation of buyers through illicit practices, such as black marketing, adulteration, underweight, misleading advertisements, price hikes, and false claims, is widespread in the market (Kishtwaria et al., 2004; Siwach & Dahiya, 2009). Consumer movement, or consumerism, has emerged as a set of initiatives designed to safeguard consumers against such malpractices and ensure that they receive precise and adequate information from businesses (Day & Aaker, 1970; Ubayachandra et al., 2020). The goals of consumerism align with those of marketing (Ubayachandra et al. 2020). The 20th century witnessed a surge in economic activities across the globe, which propelled the growth of the consumer movement. Unfortunately, this also results in the overconsumption of natural resources, endangering the sustainability of society, the economy, and the environment (Suratia, 2015). Consumption-oriented market-driven marketing practices encourage unsustainable production and consumption practices (Sheth & Parvatiyar, 2021). Sustainable consumption aims to optimize consumption, balance global ecology, meet the needs of future generations, and ensure the survival of the planet, consequently minimizing adverse environmental impacts (Mroz 2010). Although consumerism enhances the position of consumers in the marketplace against marketers (Rajanikanth, 2011), in the long run it has led to unsustainable practices. However, when consumers see themselves as citizens, they become more responsible when making purchasing decisions (McGregor, 1998). Thus, this study proposes a relationship among © 2024 the author(s). Published by informa uK Limited, trading as taylor & Francis group. CONTACT anuradha Binnuri [email protected]; dydirec[email protected] symbiosis Law school,Hyderabad Campus, symbiosis international (Deemed university), Pune, india https://doi.org/10.1080/23311975.2024.2428777 this is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. the terms on which this article has been published allow the posting of the accepted Manuscript in a repository by the author(s) or with their consent. ARTICLE HISTORY Received 19 December 2023 Revised 6 September 2024 Accepted 7 November 2024 KEYWORDS Consumer protection; consumer citizenship; green marketing; greenwashing; sustainable consumption SUBJECTS Business, Management and Accounting; Public Law; Civil Procedure MANAGeMeNT | ReSeARCH ARTICLe 2 A. BINNURI AND R. M consumerism, sustainable consumption, and consumer citizenship concepts. This study highlights the concepts of green marketing and green consumerism in the context of sustainability. This study concludes that consumer citizenship can motivate consumers to prefer sustainable consumption. 1.1. Objectives and methodology Consumerism, the consumer movement that started to protect the rights of consumers, has some negative consequences on society and the environment. Sustainable consumption is an effective solution for this problem. However, it is not easy to promote sustainable consumption, as consumers must sacrifice the features they prefer in the products or pay high prices for them. This study proposes consumer citizenship as a tool to address both consumer protection and sustainable consumption issues. This conceptual paper aims to understand these concepts and their relationships in the existing literature. The data sources included research papers collected from Scopus and Google Scholar, reports from Neilson, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs (2024) (Government of India), and the United Nations website. The data were analyzed and arranged to determine the relationships between consumerism, consumer citizenship, and sustainable consumption. Although the concepts of consumer citizenship and sustainable consumption have a universal appeal, this study is limited to the Indian context, especially consumer protection laws and regulations. This study proposes a model that depicts the relationship between consumerism, sustainable consumption, and consumer citizenship. In the following sections, we outline the concepts of consumerism, the consequences of consumerism, and sustainable consumption and then introduce the concept of consumer citizenship as a model to link them. 2. Consumer protection Technically, every individual is a consumer (Mansoor et al. 2022). The core activities of the business are focused on consumers and satisfying their needs, and consumers form the largest economic group (Nair, 2012). every consumer has the right to protect himself or herself from being cheated. Through the legal framework, it is the government’s duty to ensure fair trade and free flow of information between parties in the market, thereby protecting consumers in the market (Barber, 1966). Consumer protection laws are intended to curb fraudulent and unfair trade practices of businesses by gaining the advantage of weak and unorganized consumers (Sood, 2016). These laws were created to defend consumers’ rights. Consumer rights are the basic requirements for our existence as consumers. Consumers have raised their dissatisfaction with the unfair trade practices of marketers. This dissatisfaction has led to a movement called consumerism, which forces marketers and businesses to adopt better business practices and meet consumer requirements in a more sophisticated manner (Arndt et al., 1980). Understanding the concept of consumerism is necessary to address consumer protection and sustainable consumption. The concept of consumerism gives consumers across the world the idea that they are defined by a universal identity, ‘consumer’ (Whitman, 2006). 2.1. Consumerism Consumerism involves various stakeholders, such as consumers, consumer groups, consumer representative groups, and the government (Onah, 1979). Buskirk and Rothe defined consumerism as ‘the organized effort of consumers (whatever the economic system they live under) seeking redress, restitution, and remedy for dissatisfactions they have accumulated in the acquisition of standard of living’ (Buskirk & Rothe, 1970). Kotler (1971), who considered marketing as a social activity, defined consumerism as ‘a social movement (under any system) where buyers seek to augment their rights and powers in relation to sellers’. Although consumerism is considered a marketing concept, its aim is to protect consumers’ rights in the market place (Hima, 2016). Consumerism includes the government, rather than a public movement alone, in framing the laws protecting consumers in the marketplace and enforcing these laws to protect them from organized businesses (Kaynak, 1985). Consumerism was raised in the United States when President John F Kennedy proclaimed consumer rights in the 1960s (Rajanikanth 2011). Participation COGeNT BUSINeSS & MANAGeMeNT 3 of the government and other stakeholders in creating awareness among different consumer groups creates the benefits of consumerism in society (Vetrivel & Mohanasundari, 2011). These include the right to safety, right to be informed, right to choose, right to be heard, right to seek redressal, and right to consumer education (Ministry of Consumer Affairs, India). Consumers’ knowledge and understanding of their rights in the marketplace are considered consumer awareness. Awareness makes the consumer make an informed decision related to his or her purchase, and the consumer can assess the company and its products or services. This leads to consumer satisfaction, which is the ultimate goal of marketing. Moreover, when consumers are unsatisfied with a product, they can seek redress. Thus, consumer awareness is key to the success of consumerism and protection (Makanyeza etal., 2021). However, in the changing context of the marketplace, along with rights, consumer responsibilities must be included in consumer awareness and movement. 2.2. Consumer protection in modern days Globalization, environmental concerns, and e-commerce have become essential players in consumer protection (Mayer, 2012). Using the Internet as a marketing channel has revolutionized how consumers shop and assert their rights (Yani-de-Soriano & Slater, 2009). Modern businesses have integrated e-commerce into their operations to cater to the needs of both buyers and sellers, resulting in reduced costs and improved speed and quality of transactions (Panjaitan et al. 2020). However, this shift towards e-commerce has created a power imbalance, leaving consumers in a weaker bargaining position than sellers. Consequently, the need for robust consumer protection measures has become a critical issue (Panjaitan et al. 2020). The rise of e-commerce has facilitated cross-border transactions, posing a significant challenge for regulators in ensuring adequate consumer protection (Goyens, 2020). At the global level, e-commerce growth has prompted the prioritization of consumerism as a primary objective of the law, as it poses several consumer-related challenges that require legal intervention. Deregulation of various economic sectors has compounded these challenges. Additionally, there has been a paradigm shift from traditional brick-and-mortar businesses to online e-commerce, resulting in a host of new issues and threats to consumer protection such as changes in working procedures and business processes. Consumerism has negative consequences on society and the environment. 2.3. Negative impacts of consumerism As consumer standards and expectations have risen, advanced countries have displayed increased discontent with their products and services. Consumerism, which originated in the West and urged businesses to consider the concerns of consumers and government, has contributed to this trend (Rajanikanth 2011). As living standards have improved and people have become more exposed to media and international travel, developing countries have adopted the philosophy (Gaedeke & Udo-Aka, 1974). Consumerism has been an overwhelming desire for the usage of products and services beyond an individual’s actual needs. Many argue that consumerism is a social and economic principle that motivates people to aspire to consume more than their fair share of the world’s resources regardless of its consequences. Consumerism motivates consumers to satisfy their needs with material things, and this consumerism is due to the insecurities that consumers have in their minds. Consumers feel that these products create a new self that they want to be; however, this self is unsustainable (McGregor, 2002; Amrillah, 2024). Previous studies on consumerism have explored its negative consequences and found that consumerism encourages consumers to utilize more resources than required, which leads to environmental pollution (Chuchu etal., 2020). This behavior ultimately depletes natural resources and creates a burden for future generations. Some estimates indicate that satisfying current demand requires the resources of 1.7 planets, highlighting the extent of the problem (Collins et al., 2020; Amrillah, 2024). The world population is expected to reach 9.6 billion by 2050, and the resources required for this population will not be available on earth if consumption continues in such a manner. Sustainable consumption is a potential solution to issues related to overconsumption and resource depletion (Tanner & Wölfing Kast, 2003). 4 A. BINNURI AND R. M 3. Sustainable consumption The concept of consumption has evolved beyond the mere utilization of material goods and services to meet one’s needs. It has now become a measure of the standard of living, an indication of social class, and a means for individuals to express their identities (Zalega, 2019), leading to the depletion of societal resources. All human activities related to consumption impact the environment; therefore, it is necessary to change consumer values and lifestyles to ensure that consumption leads to sustainability (Kanie & Biermann, 2017). Changes in consumers’ attitudes, behaviors, and lifestyles toward the environment lead to sustainable consumption (Moisander & Pesonen, 2002). As previously mentioned, sustainable consumption is an effective solution. Sustainable consumption is defined as ‘the use of services and related products that respond to basic needs and bring a better quality of life while minimizing the use of natural resources and toxic materials, as well as the emission of waste and pollutants over the lifecycle so as not to jeopardize the needs of future generations’ (eSCAP, 2016). The working definition of sustainable consumption was officially adopted by the United Nations in 1995. Consumerism plays a crucial role in establishing legal and administrative structures to safeguard consumers’ interests. However, it has also faced criticism for prioritizing consumption over consumer well-being, resulting in erosion of human relationships and happiness (Csikszentmihalyi, 2000; Kasser & Ryan, 2001). Furthermore, the rise in consumerism has led to excessive marketing, contributing to unethical marketing practices. Additionally, modern production, packaging, and logistics have detached the benefits of the products themselves, allowing consumers to purchase devices without reaping their benefits (Abela, 2006). This has a negative impact on both consumers and the environment. The impact of environmental issues on an individual’s survival is evident, and it is clear that human activity is the primary cause of environmental damage. However, it is possible to safeguard the environment if people become aware of the negative consequences of their consumption habits (Waller-Hunter 1994). Since 1985, there has been a growing focus on the relationship between economic and social development, and environmental sustainability. This has led to an increase in discussions of sustainable consumption. At the 1992 earth Summit in Rio, an entire chapter was dedicated to understanding the links between production patterns, consumption, and sustainability, which resulted in the establishment of the Commission on Sustainable Development (UN Guidelines). In 1999, the Commission expanded its consumer protection guidelines to encompass sustainable consumption without compromising primary consumer protection (Bentley, 2005). The United Nations Guidelines for Consumer Protection were revised to include sustainable consumption, and governments were charged with the responsibility of developing and implementing strategies to promote sustainable consumption as per the United Nations guidelines. Promoting sustainable consumption is one aspect that members of the United Nations have agreed to implement as part of their legal system to protect consumers (Yuanitasari et al., 2023). Governments, businesses, and other stakeholders should develop economic and social policies and regulations. It can develop sector-specific policies, such as land use, energy, and programs, to raise awareness among consumer groups and curb unsustainable consumption practices (Chatterjee & Sahoo, 2011). According to Article 21 of the Indian Constitution, ‘the State, inter alia, to protect life, which is construed as including the right to a healthy and safe environment’. A safe and healthy environment leads to sustainable consumption (Chatterjee & Sahoo, 2011). It is the responsibility of businesses, governments, and consumers to integrate sustainable consumption (Michaelis 2003). The enactment of The Consumer Protection Act 2019 also created a scope for relooking the interrelated aspects of consumer protection, sustainable consumption, and e-consumer protection. The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI, 2020) guidelines specify the standards and considerations required for advertising and prohibits false claims. This prohibits false claims in the advertisements. Although governments have policies and procedures to regulate market practices, it is the responsibility of consumers to seek sustainable consumption. Green consumerism can help to protect consumer rights by focusing on the environment. 3.1. Green consumerism According to the guidelines issued by the United Nations on sustainable consumption, every country must adopt its own policy framework for the next few years, as well as sustainable management and COGeNT BUSINeSS & MANAGeMeNT 5 efficient use of natural resources by 2030. Sustainable practices should focus on reducing, reusing, and recycling resources (Abela 2006). As consumers’ awareness of sustainable consumption is increasing, it has been observed that they have started exhibiting green behaviors, preferring to buy green products that have less impact on the environment, which causes systemic policy changes that lead to a greater benefit to the environment (Sachdeva et al., 2015). This may be termed green consumerism, which involves consumers promoting and implementing sustainable consumption by purposefully ignoring products and services that have a negative impact on society (Singh, 1997). Thus, green consumerism can be defined as ‘a consumption pattern with environmental consciousness (Singh, 1997) ’. Although green consumerism focuses only on consumers’ prime concerns regarding the environment, conscious consumption focuses on broader aspects. Conscious consumption is defined as ‘the motivational process by which individuals strive to improve their social standing through conspicuous consumption of consumer products that confer or status for both the individual and surrounding others’ (eastman et al., 1999). A conscious consumer considers sustainability, social justice, corporate social responsibility, and workers’ rights when buying a product (Shukla & Chandra, 2022). Conscious consumption sometimes includes boycotting products and brands that are not environment friendly. Marketers can influence consumer consumption practices through their activities. Marketers have even begun to debate the implications of marketing for sustainability, leading to the concept of green marketing. 3.2. Green marketing During the 1970s, the concept of ecological marketing was popularized with a concern for developing new technologies to alleviate environmental problems (Peattie & Charter, 2003). Green marketing, which is an extension of ecological marketing, integrates both ecological and social marketing concepts (Peattie & Charter, 2003). It can be defined as ‘The holistic management process responsible for identifying, anticipating, and satisfying the needs of customers and society in a profitable and sustainable way’ (Peattie & Charter, 2003). As consumers become conscious of the environment and sustainability, companies are forced to manufacture products that are good for the sustainability of society. To encash consumers’ sustainability consciousness, companies are producing and differentiating their products from those of their rivals with the claim of being environmentally friendly products. They attract consumers through various media and social media platforms, using words like ‘sustainability, eco-friendly, biodegradable, etc’. (Delcea etal., 2019). Some companies spend millions of times portraying their products as eco-friendly, which is not the case (Lukinović & Jovanović, 2019). Consumers and investors who want to invest in a company’s shares rely on advertisements to make their choices. This led to green washing. Greenwashing is defined as ‘a tactic of public relations involving a company presenting itself as more environmentally conscious than it is in practice’ (Hilton, 2023). Companies highlight sustainable practices, which are a small part of their overall activities that are harmful to the environment, to attract consumers who prefer green products (Adamkiewicz et al., 2022). Companies in industries such as the fashion industry use eco-labelling or certification to claim that their products are sustainable (Adamkiewicz et al., 2022). Greenwashing prevails as the number of consumers who prefer environment friendly and eco-friendly products increases. There exists a consumer intention– behavior gap, as consumers pretend to be pro-environmental but have limited knowledge and lack of idea about the environmental concerns of the products, along with high searching costs and economic aspects related to green products (Rausch & Kopplin, 2021). Therefore, greenwashing is a significant challenge for both consumerism and sustainable consumption. 3.3. Role of marketers in enhancing sustainable consumption When it comes to the consumption of sustainable products, responsible consumers always have an obligation toward the environment; however at the same time, they need clarification on how to act (Connolly & Prothero, 2008). Marketers are responsible for addressing consumers’ unease by promoting sustainability in their product campaigns. As part of this segmentation, marketers must identify green consumer segments and design sustainable products (Anderson & Cunningham, 1972; Kilbourne & Beckmann, 1998). However, marketers must 6 A. BINNURI AND R. M expand these markets to be mutually beneficial to organizations and the environment. Marketers must create and offer products and prepare consumers to recognize, embrace, and reward their sustainable values to maximize sustainability and the firm’s profits (White et al., 2019). It was observed that, even though consumers are pro-environmental, their actions do not reflect the same. This poses a challenge for marketers promoting sustainable consumption. To encourage sustainable consumption behaviors, White etal. (2019) identified factors such as social influence, habit formation, the individual self, feelings, cognition, and tangibility (SHIFT), which need to be encouraged. Companies that focus on sustainability must work with local organizations to regulate personal consumption practices, along with other practices that create a routine of sustainable consumption practices (Connolly & Prothero, 2008). A sustainable marketing orientation that focuses on the long-term effects on social, economic, and environmental concerns is required for companies. When companies focus on tactical and operational cost-cutting rather than long-term value orientation, they tend to lose compatibility with sustainable goals (Van Dam, 2016). Companies have a sustainable identity to motivate sustainable consumption practices among consumers. Businesses must establish their sustainability focus and efforts and design and launch their marketing communications accordingly. Promoting sustainable initiatives through proper marketing communication is essential for encouraging sustainable consumption (Bagdare, 2018; Kar & Harichandan, 2022). Marketers need to promote green marketing innovations, such as sustainable packaging and the effective recycling of products, to make consumers use sustainable products. It has been observed that customers are more inclined towards products that align with their feelings of sustainability (Kar & Harichandan, 2022). A special division with people oriented towards sustainability and sustainable consumption can be created to communicate correctly with the target customers. Marketing communication can focus on sensitizing, familiarizing, incentivizing, and recognizing a company’s sustainable initiatives to make consumers more responsible towards the environment and sustainability (Bagdare, 2018). Communication can focus on the lack of sustainability in the products instead of labeling, as it motivates consumers to avoid products that are non-sustainable and reinforce sustainable consumption (Van Dam, 2016). However, sustainable consumption assumes that changes in lifestyle and individual consumption activities can lead to sustainable consumption. Thus, sustainable consumption is the responsibility of individual citizens (Melo, 2009), and can be achieved through consumer citizenship. 4. Consumer citizenship As stated earlier, consumer protection and sustainable consumption go hand-in-hand in today’s global marketplace. Buyers, sellers, and the government have come to think about meeting the needs and wants of the present generation without compromising the needs and wants of future generations. It includes safeguarding the consumer from the unfair trade practices of the seller and creating awareness about sustainability among common consumers. The United Nations Guidelines for Consumer Protection and Sustainable Consumption form the basis for the enhancement of the Consumer Protection Act in India. The Consumer Protection Act 2019 came into enforcement on 20 Jul. 2020. The new Act addresses e-commerce issues, product liability, safety, and dispensing consumer justice through alternative redressal mechanisms (Nomani et al., 2019). Nielsen (2015) observed that two in every three consumers are willing to pay more if a product or service is sustainable. About three-fourths of consumers were ready to change their consumption habits to reduce the environmental impact, and more than 80 percent of consumers opined that corporations should change their activities to help the environment improve (Nielsen, 2017). This shows that consumer consciousness of the environment is growing, and governments must focus on policies and regulations promoting sustainable consumption (Bolla et al., 2009). As sustainable consumption sometimes requires individuals to sacrifice personal choices against environmental concerns, the consumer’s role as a citizen comes to the forefront. The concept of consumer citizenship arose so that consumers had to fulfill their duties, roles, and responsibilities in the marketplace. Consumer citizenship is defined as ‘an individual making choices based on ethical, social, economic, and ecological considerations. Consumer citizens actively contribute to maintaining just and sustainable development by caring and acting responsibly on family, national, and global levels’ (Thoresen, 2005). The focus of the consumer citizens is on environmental protection, social responsibility, and labor COGeNT BUSINeSS & MANAGeMeNT 7 security while making a nay purchase (Ricci et al., 2016). Consumer citizenship has gained momentum in India since the economic reforms started in 1991 (Khan, 2021). Commercial advertisements promote freedom and choice of consumerism rather than enabling citizens’ rights and responsibilities (Khan, 2021). Consumer citizenship also focuses on social inequalities, alongside the issues of a capitalistic society in India (Baviskar, 2018). 4.1. Consumer citizenship for sustainable consumption Consumer citizenship is considered political toolkit of consumerism, which enhances the participation of many consumers in the consumer movement (Connolly & Prothero, 2008; Southerton et al., 2004). every purchase a consumer makes, or he/she is casting his vote in the maintenance of the market (Lang & Gabriel, 1995) directly and sustainability indirectly. At the same time, Lang and Gabriel defined a citizen as ‘a responsible consumer, a socially aware consumer, and a consumer who thinks ahead and tempers his or her desires by social awareness, a consumer whose actions must be morally defensible and who must occasionally be prepared to sacrifice personal pleasure to communal well-being’ (Lang & Gabriel, 1995). Most consumption patterns are hidden and embedded in individual routine and normative practices and are constituted through self-reflexive actions. They are governed by norms and conventions that are a part of life. Therefore, it is necessary to take action beyond providing more options and information to convert the individual orientation towards sustainable consumption (Southerton et al., 2004). Consumerism has made people purchase goods and services that release harmful chemicals and plastics into the environment (Amrillah, 2024). The commitment of the people is required for sustainable growth, and every individual must be aware that responsible consumption will lead to the survival of future generations (Mensah, 2019). A study conducted in Japan and Korea showed that consumers are aware of sustainable activities, even though their self-concept is different (Lim et al., 2019). However, only a small proportion of consumers consider more sustainable forms of consumption, while other consumers are stuck in their routines. Moreover, changing routines can enhance sustainable consumption practices in any society. Individuals need to feel like they are consumer citizens, and this process of learning to be a consumer citizen is a lifetime process, as they need to be conscientious and socially responsible for every purchase they make in their lifetime. (McGregor, 1998) A consumer can shape a marketplace, like a citizen participating in civic affairs and shaping society. People can make a difference only when they develop a sense of community to fight against feelings of powerlessness and disconnectedness as consumers in shaping new citizens (Berman, 1990). Thus, consumer citizenship aligns with consumerism, which has roots in enhancing consumers against organized marketers. Consumer citizens are actively engaged in societal growth and advancement because they have ethical perspectives, plurality of views, and consideration of the future in every purchase and transaction they make. These consumer citizens safeguard their personal well-being and take care of the well-being of society at large. This has led to the concept called ‘Consumer Social Responsibility (CnSR)’. It is defined as ‘the application of instrumental, relational, and moral logic by individuals, groups, and corporate and institutional agents seeking to influence a broad range of consumer-oriented responsibilities’ (Caruana & Chatzidakis, 2014). It broadens consumers’ utility beyond traditional factors, such as price, convenience, and availability, and includes social issues, such as fairness, justice, rights, virtue, and sustainability. ethics are the basis for consumers to act as responsible citizens. The consumer must be aware of the choices and consequences before making any purchase (Ricci et al., 2016) as a consumer citizen, and feels himself/herself a citizen who is aware that the purchasing decision will have an impact on other consumers, citizens, and the environment as a whole (McGregor, 2002). Consumer awareness of sustainable consumption focuses on ethical aspects so that consumers act more responsibly while buying, using, and disposing of the product. A consumer’s awareness of his/her responsibilities is as important as his/her rights as a consumer. A consumer citizen is also aware of the global implications of the choices they make and should have planetary responsibilities as a consumer citizen. This enhances consumers’ responsibility to live, spend, and use products. It connects the consumer with the rest of society and environment and makes the consumer live with a sense of morality. (McGregor, 2002) Consumer citizens focus on their purchases and influence other consumers to buy sustainable products (Ricci et al., 2016).