Sustainable Consumption: Conceptualization and Characterization of the Complexity of “Being” a Sustainable Consumer—A Systematic Review of the Scientific Literature

Abstract

Sustainable consumption is a key concept in society and the environment due to its direct relationship with sustainable development; its importance lies in the decoupling of consumption and economic growth with environmental damage and its involvement with various behavioral disciplines and ecological concepts. Therefore, this research aims to analyze scientific articles linked to key perspectives of the concept under discussion. Due to the scope of the objective of systematizing the existing scientific literature on sustainable consumption in Scopus and Web of Science, a systematic review was carried out, including 104 scientific articles considering criteria that respond to the questions posed. It is concluded that sustainable consumption is a complex and nebulous concept whose theoretical fragmentation gives it breadth but generates overlapping concepts. Likewise, the link between the consumer and the circular economy and the difficulties behind such interaction was denoted. The complexity of being a green consumer in current times and the aspects that comprise it were also covered, and the importance, role, and tools of the government in sustainable consumption. Thus, it is expected to generate a consistent theoretical framework facilitating the creation of new applied research, considering the perspectives highlighted through this analysis.