Green Label: Investigating Environmental Labelling as a Communication Tool in Hungary

Fekete, Balázs Tamás and Sass, Judit (2025) Green Label: Investigating Environmental Labelling as a Communication Tool in Hungary. KOME: AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PURE COMMUNICATION INQUIRY, 13 (2). pp. 1-24. ISSN 2063-7330

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Abstract

Empirical research suggests that labelling individuals as environmentally conscious based on their past behaviours can strengthen their attitudes to the environment and promote further eco-friendly actions, resulting in positive spillover effects. This study aims to test the effectiveness of environmental labelling as a communication tool for energy conservation and domestic product consumption. The online survey of 668 Hungarian participants used an experimental design. Although the effects were weak, even brief exposure to labelling messages resulted in statistically significant changes in environmental attitudes, while no significant effect was found on behavioural intentions. We hypothesise that repeated exposure to similar messages could reinforce attitudes and result in behavioural change. Additionally, the study sought to identify social groups that may serve as target audiences for environmental labelling related to domestic product preferences. Cluster analysis suggests that individuals with conservative views and a preference for right-wing political parties may be particularly responsive to this communication tool. We must add that the non-probabilistic snowball sampling method and the resulting overrepresentation of young, urban and liberal individuals limits the generalisability of the findings for the broader Hungarian population, so further research based on nationally representative samples is needed to validate these results.

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