The role of public awareness and government regulations in stimulating sustainable consumption of Malaysian consumers

Concern towards environmental matters and society has magnified in recent years and the trend towards green products and sustainable consumption has become corporate agenda among organizations and governments. Consumption is an activity that is determined by population growth, economic activity, technology choices, social values, institutions and policies. In stimulating sustainable consumption, the involvement of the government in environmental matters is pivotal. Government roles must be supervisory and legislative. The magnitude of global climatic change evidenced by global warming, depletion of the ozone layer, etc, has intensified interest in sustainable consumption amongst academics and environmentalists. Hence, the overall aim of this paper is to create better understanding of how government policies and greater public awareness can stimulate sustainable consumption amongst Malaysian citizens.