Popular eco-influencers push lifestyle fixes over systemic change
A study of Scandinavian environmental influencers reveals they emphasize personal consumer choices—buying sustainable products, changing diets—rather than advocating for policy or structural solutions. The finding matters to brands and marketers: it shows how influencer-driven sustainability messaging may inadvertently reinforce the notion that climate action is primarily an individual purchasing decision, not a systemic challenge.
Originaltitel: Greenfluencers and environmental advocacy: Sustainability representations and appeals to action in content by Scandinavian influencers
<p>Greenfluencers, also known as environmental influencers, intertwine environmental issues with personal lifestyle content. Their digital platforms provide spaces where social media users engage with and interpret sustainability issues. However, despite their advocacy for environmental action, greenfluencers operate in a realm marked by commercialisation. This chapter explores the representation of environmental action and agency within greenfluencer platforms. Specifically, we examine how greenfluencers urge followers to take specific actions, unravelling the reasons and motivations they articulate. Employing a rhetorical analysis on a select group of influencers from Norway and Sweden – countries where greenfluencers play a prominent role in the environmental discourse – we explore their efforts to raise awareness about environmental issues and advocate for sustainable lifestyles.</p>