Green economy

Introduction:
When consumers make decisions that affects the environment they rarely are fully aware of the impact of these decisions. It is believed that is a role for government to influence consumers’ decision-making and promote education and influence private behaviour, including through regulations, property rights, market-based mechanisms or subsidising certain activities. (The Treasury, 2010). However, individuals can also demonstrate concern for the environment by undertaking personal environment protection activities, such as recycling and reducing electricity and water consumption.
In the green economy movement has emerged a new type of consumer, denominated by the International Institute for Sustainable Development – IISD as green consumer. Its research has pointed out the following characteristics that green consumers have in common:
Global perspective: Who are the green consumers?
• Have sincere intentions and growing commitment to greener lifestyles.
• Usually judge their environmental practices as inadequate.
• Have low expectation about companies and prefer those ones that have made improvements around its sustainable practices.
• Tend to exaggerate their green behaviour and consume a lot of green products.
• Want environmental protection to be easy without major sacrifices.
• Tend to distrust companies' environmental claims, unless they have been independently verified.
• Tend not to trust them to evaluate scientific information about environmental impacts.
• They are eager to learn about sustainable practices and plugged into innovation.
• In general have intellectual orientation to appreciate sustainable values.
• The most responsive age group tends to be young adults, many of whom are influenced by their children.
• Women are a key target for greener products, and often make purchases on behalf of men.
• Usually have more income and money to spend. As a result, the most promising products for 'greening' tend to be at the higher