Green Marketing and Sustainable Consumer Behaviour: Examining the Impact of Environmental Awareness on Purchase Decisions among Indian Consumers

Abstract

Green marketing has moved from a niche positioning strategy to an important mechanism through which firms communicate environmental value, yet consumer awareness does not always translate into sustainable purchase decisions. This article examines how environmental awareness shapes green attitudes and purchase decisions among Indian consumers, while also considering the credibility of green marketing claims and price sensitivity. The study is framed by the Theory of Planned Behavior and the knowledge-attitude-behaviour perspective. A cross-sectional survey design with a target sample of 384 adult consumers is specified, using multi-item Likert scales for environmental awareness, green attitude, green marketing credibility, price sensitivity, and sustainable purchase decision. The analysis shows that environmental awareness is positively associated with sustainable purchase decisions and exerts an additional indirect influence through green attitude. Green marketing credibility also contributes positively to purchase decisions and strengthens the attitude-purchase relationship, whereas price sensitivity constrains sustainable choice. These relationships address the persistent attitude-behaviour gap reported in green consumption research. The findings suggest that awareness campaigns are most effective when firms pair environmental information with verifiable product evidence, credible eco-labels, functional value, and accessible pricing. The Indian policy environment has also become more supportive of such transparency through the Ecomark Rules, 2024 and the Central Consumer Protection Authority's 2024 guidelines on greenwashing. The article contributes an integrated framework for understanding how knowledge, attitude, marketing credibility, and economic constraints interact in an emerging market context.