Ecologically Conscious Non-Consumption in Times of Crises: A Social Portrait of Non-purchasers due to Environmental Concerns in Russia

Мир России: Социология, этнология. 2025. Vol. 34. No. 4. P. 152–173.

Lebedeva D.

The focus of the study is ecologically conscious consumption which reflects a complex of values, attitudes, and practices of careful and responsible treatment of the environment. We start from the fact that even in times of crisis, which are characterized by social upheaval, decreasing personal income and growing uncertainty, there are people who demonstrate responsibility towards the environment in their everyday consumer behavior. Using data from a representative survey of the Russian population conducted by HSE University as part of the ‘Household Economic Behavior Monitoring’ project in 2023, logistic regression was employed to identify the social portrait of an ecologically conscious consumer during crisis periods, focusing on the refusal to purchase goods and services due to environmental reasons in contemporary Russia. The regression analysis has revealed that ecologically conscious consumption in the form of boycotts is more prevalent among women, young and middle-aged individuals, those who rate their subjective level of well-being low, individuals without their own housing, those not residing in Moscow and St. Petersburg, and consumers of news about the environment and climate change. The study suggests that a crisis might be seen as an opportunity for the future transitioning to ecologically conscious consumption as it encourages individuals to seek new ways of satisfying their needs. The results might be academically and practically useful to define the social potential of ecologically responsible consumer choice, conceptually and empirically distinguishing it from other forms of ethical consumption, such as social responsibility and to promote caring for the environment among the population in times of lingering crisis.

Keywords: молодежь, потребление, consumption, youth, экологическая культура, инвайронментальная социология, устойчивое потребление, ethical / responsible / sustainable consumption, environmental sociology, ecologically conscious consumption, refusal to purchase, boycotts, consumption in crisis, потребление в кризис, бойкоты, экологически осознанное потребление, отказ от покупки, кризис как возможность

Publication based on the results of: Consumption and economic behavior of households in Russia, 2025-2027 (2027)