Department of Computer, Control and Management Engineering

Since the beginning of 2020, the world has been hit by the SARS CoV-2 virus that causes Covid-19. To hamper its spread, policy makers of many countries have put in place strong countermeasures, including lockdowns, that have led to significant changes in people's lifestyles and daily routines. The literature highlights that the Covid-19 pandemic has impacted several behavioural aspects. Despite the research on the changes in consumer behaviour due to the Covid-19 pandemic has been rapidly increasing, the study of this phenomenon remains an urgent issue to deepen. Further, the literature on the topic suggests the need to investigate from multiple perspectives the impact of Covid-19 on sustainability. In this context, this paper aims at assessing the changes in green consumer behaviour in Italy caused by Covid-19. A survey was conducted on 1.535 Italian consumers between December 2020 and January 2021. Respondents have been asked to assess the extent to which their consumption behaviour related to several categories of products (eco-sustainable, organic, fair-trade, locally produced, made in Italy, sold by neighbourhood stores) has changed due to the pandemic, as well as the extent to which the pandemic has impacted on many other aspects, including their environmental awareness and purchase behaviors. The results show higher levels of consumption of eco-sustainable, organic, and fair-trade products, as well as of goods sold by neighbourhood stores, produced locally and made in sense of moral duty to purchase and in the willingness to pay a premium price. Further, results show that consumers are more aware of the extent to which their consumption behaviour can have economic, social, and environmental impacts. Consumers have also changed their purchasing habits. Further, this study's findings reveal that the extent of change is strongly affected by socio-demographic variables, such as gender, age, income, and education. Changes reported in green consumer behaviour suggest implications on multiple levels. These are of great importance to guide marketers to respond promptly and effectively to the new challenges and to guide scholars to extend knowledge on this topic.