The Journey of Shared Green Consumption Promotion: A Case Study of Environmental Advocacy in China

Gynnyn  G. Gumban,; Huang  Zequn,

The Journey of Shared Green Consumption Promotion: A Case Study of Environmental Advocacy in China

Abstract:

This qualitative case study explored how social media interaction promotes shared green consumption (SGC) as an environmental advocacy strategy in China, focusing on the Civil Society Environmental Protection Public Welfare Organization (CSEPPWO) in Changsha City. Conducted from May 2024 to February 2025, the study involved 20 purposively selected informants and employed Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis. Findings revealed that social media enabled the transition of Green Hunan from grassroots activism to national influence, expanding its advocacy to include SGC through collaboration, recycling, and sustainable living campaigns. Social media enhanced transparency, credibility, and engagement but faced challenges such as digital fatigue, misinformation, and limited inclusivity. Despite barriers, stakeholders contributed through donations, leadership, and educational initiatives. The study highlights the crucial role of inclusive and adaptive digital strategies in advancing environmental behavior and policy influence.

References:

Ambasht, A. (2023). Real-Time Data Integration and Analytics: Empowering Data-Driven Decision Making. International Journal of Computer Trends and Technology, 71(7), 8-14.
Berigüete, F. E., Santos, J. S., & Rodriguez Cantalapiedra, I. (2024). Digital revolution: emerging technologies for enhancing citizen engagement in urban and environmental management. Land, 13(11), 1921.
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
Chen, L., Matloob, S., Sunlei, Y., Qalati, S. A., Raza, A., & Limón, M. L. S. (2023). A moderated–mediated model for eco-conscious consumer behavior. Sustainability, 15(2), 897.
Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2016). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches. Sage publications.
Flick, U. (2018). Triangulation in data collection.
Gao, X., & Teets, J. (2021). Civil society organizations in China: Navigating the local government for more inclusive environmental governance. China Information, 35(1), 46-66.
Guba, E. G., & Lincoln, Y. S. (1994). Competing paradigms in qualitative research. Handbook of qualitative research, 2(163-194), 105.
Guest, G., Bunce, A., & Johnson, L. (2006). How many interviews are enough? An experiment with data saturation and variability. Field methods, 18(1), 59-82.
Hafferty, C., Reed, M. S., Brockett, B. F., Orford, S., Berry, R., Short, C., & Davis, J. (2024). Engagement in the digital age: Understanding “what works” for participatory technologies in environmental decision-making. Journal of Environmental Management, 365, 121365.
Jayadatta, S. (2023). The Role of Social Media in Promoting ESG–A Theoretical Assimilation. International Journal of Marketing and Business Communication, 12(2), 25-36.
Khan, E. (2023). A GAMIFIED DIGITAL WEB SERVICE TO SUPPORT YOUTH SOCIETAL PARTICIPATION.
Kyu Kim, Y., Yim, M. Y. C., Kim, E., & Reeves, W. (2021). Exploring the optimized social advertising strategy that can generate consumer engagement with green messages on social media. Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing, 15(1), 30-48.
Lang, S. (2022). NGO-ization of civil society. In The Routledge Handbook of Nonprofit Communication (pp. 32-38). Routledge.
Liang, J., Wang, R., & Li, J. (2022). Exploring the relationship between Chinese urban residents’ perceptions of sustainable consumption and their efficiency behavior: A mediation and moderation analysis based on the social practice approach. Sustainability, 14(18), 11262.
Lim, W. M. (2024). What is qualitative research? An overview and guidelines. Australasian Marketing Journal, 14413582241264619.
Mackieson, P., Shlonsky, A., & Connolly, M. (2019). Increasing rigor and reducing bias in qualitative research: A document analysis of parliamentary debates using applied thematic analysis. Qualitative social work, 18(6), 965-980.
Maravilla Jr, V. S., & Flores, G. (2025). Entrepreneurial competency, resilience, and financial literacy: Drivers of sustainable performance in SMEs for societal welfare. Journal of Sustainability, Society, and Eco-Welfare, 2(2), 159-176.
Maurya, D. N. (2024). Climate Change and Global Responsibility: An Urgent Call for Collective Action. ldealistic Journal of Advanced Research in Progressive Spectrums (IJARPS) eISSN–2583-6986, 3(12), 260-265.
McGrath, R. (2021). Journalling and memoing: Reflexive qualitative research tools. In Handbook of qualitative research methodologies in workplace contexts (pp. 245-262). Edward Elgar Publishing.
Mena, J., & Russell, T. (2017). Collaboration, multiple methods, trustworthiness: Issues arising from the 2014 international conference on self-study of teacher education practices. Studying Teacher Education, 13(1), 105-122.
Munakarmi, R. (2024). Paradoxes of School Teachers in Practicing Integrity: An Ethnographic Study of Public Schools of Nepal (Doctoral dissertation, Kathmandu University School of Education).
Nyimbili, F., & Nyimbili, L. (2024). Types of purposive sampling techniques with their examples and application in qualitative research studies. British Journal of Multidisciplinary and Advanced Studies, 5(1), 90-99.
Patton, M. Q. (2002). Qualitative research & evaluation methods. sage.
Sailer, A., Wilfing, H., & Straus, E. (2022). Greenwashing and bluewashing in black Friday-related sustainable fashion marketing on Instagram. Sustainability, 14(3), 1494.
Shen, H., DeVos, A., Eslami, M., & Holstein, K. (2021). Everyday algorithm auditing: Understanding the power of everyday users in surfacing harmful algorithmic behaviors. Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction, 5(CSCW2), 1-29.
Wang, Y., Deng, X., Zhang, H., Liu, Y., Yue, T., & Liu, G. (2022). Energy endowment, environmental regulation, and energy efficiency: Evidence from China. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 177, 121528.