Carbon labels and “horizontal location effect”: Can carbon labels increase the choice of green product?

Abstract

Concerns related to the carbon reduction were evident in the increasingly green consumptions. Can the packaging design of green products facilitate the choice of green products? The authors focused on the “horizontal location effect” of carbon label, whereby placing the carbon label right or left in the visual field of packages. A series of three studies showed that green product packages, such as a package of biscuit, resulted in higher (less) purchase intention when the carbon label placed right (left) in the visual field. The studies provided empirical evidences that the “horizontal location effect” of carbon label was driven by the enhanced perceived environmental importance attached to a product. The authors also examined the moderator (PNS) of the relationship between the horizontal location of the carbon label and consumers’ purchase intention. Using real and fictitious packages as stimuli, the authors obtained consistent results, which have profound theoretical and policy implications.