Ecolabelling as a means for encouraging sustainable lifestyles? : a case of the Nordic Swan Ecolabel in Sweden through a paradox perspective

Abstract: Humans’ rapidly growing consumption of natural resources have caused severe damage on the planet which has led to climate change and deranged ecosystems. When looking at actions taken for establishing sustainable consumption of natural resources, ecolabelling is a possible matter to look closer into. Ecolabelling is a declaration that provides information to the consumer, through a logotype or other type of information on a product, about the environmental impact of a specific product that is concerned with one or several environmental improvements. Furthermore, ecolabels operate as the direct link between products and consumers and are intended as a means for consumers to make more sustainable choices when consuming. Even though ecolabelled products are a better alternative from an environmental perspective when consuming, they are still a part of our consumption pattern which today is too demanding for our natural resources and ecosystems. Although ecolabel organizations could be seen as suitable candidates for encouraging sustainable lifestyles due to their commitment to sustainability, paradoxes can be found in regard to their other organizational interests since organizations have to be aware of and able to manage multiple and sometimes conflicting demands and objectives in order to be successful. This thesis explores how Ecolabelling Sweden, through the Nordic Swan Ecolabel, encourages consumers to adopt sustainable lifestyles and the potential consequences that may occur by doing that in regard to their other organizational demands and objectives. By using the theory of sustainability communication and the theory of paradox perspective on sustainable organizations as a theoretical lens, the opportunity was given to understand how Ecolabelling Sweden encourage consumers to adopt sustainable lifestyles and to critically explore how this possibly may interfere with their other organizational demands and objectives. The data was collected through semi-structured interviews with eight employees at Ecolabelling Sweden. The findings show that Ecolabelling Sweden, through the Nordic Ecolabel, can be seen as a means for encouraging sustainable lifestyles by accepting and identifying possible management strategies for the identified paradoxes and by improving and developing their strategies for encouraging consumers to adopt sustainable lifestyles.