Green self-accountability and temporal distance impact on sustainable consumption behavior: the mediating role of anticipated emotions

Purpose With the rise in global consumption depleting natural resources and harming the environment, promoting sustainable consumption is essential. Our study explores how green self-accountability affects sustainable purchasing over different time frames, examining the impact on short (one week) and long-term (one year) choices toward green products and the underlying mechanisms.Methods We conducted two experiments where participants made green purchasing decisions, with the first activating green self-accountability and the second also measuring anticipated emotional responses.Results Findings show that green self-accountability boosts sustainable purchasing, particularly for immediate choices, driven by anticipated pride in buying green products.Conclusion Green self-accountability significantly enhances sustainable purchasing, aided by anticipated pride. This suggests that marketing strategies emphasizing environmental urgency and consumers' eco-unfriendly behaviors can foster sustainable consumer habits.