Summary
This pre-registered online experiment (n=1,126) tested the effectiveness of different carbon footprint label designs on consumer food choices. Traffic light and combined labels (showing both relative sustainability and absolute CO2 emissions) significantly increased selection of low-carbon food items, whilst labels communicating only absolute emissions had no significant effect. The findings suggest that relative sustainability comparisons, particularly in traffic light format, are more effective than absolute numerical information in driving sustainable food purchasing behaviour.
Regional applicability
The study was conducted in Switzerland and tests label design principles applicable to UK food environments. Whilst UK policy context differs (e.g., voluntary vs. mandatory labelling schemes), the findings on traffic light label effectiveness are relevant to UK retailers and policymakers considering environmental labelling strategies. Transferability may be subject to cultural and market differences in food preferences and label familiarity.
Key measures
Proportion of low-CO2 product selections across 14 food choice trials; label type (control, traffic light, absolute emissions, combined); environmental concern; cognitive reflection capacity
Outcomes reported
The study measured whether carbon footprint labels (traffic light, absolute emissions, or combined) increased participants' likelihood of choosing low-carbon food items compared to high-carbon alternatives across 14 product pairs. Results demonstrated that traffic light and combined labels significantly increased selection of low-CO2 products.
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