Decoding the green choice: Unraveling the complex pathways of purchase intention for carbon-labeled products

Carbon labels, which disclose product life-cycle carbon footprints to guide consumers toward low-carbon choices, have emerged as a critical policy instrument for addressing climate change. Existing studies have predominantly focused on the net associations of individual psychological factors, while insufficient attention has been paid to how multiple factors collectively relate to consumers’ carbon-labeled product (CLP) purchase intention. To fill this gap, this study integrates the theory of reasoned action to develop a research framework encompassing carbon label cognition, trust, environmental concern, attitude, and dispositional innovativeness. Using data collected from 361 valid questionnaires, partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) are jointly employed to investigate the antecedent conditions associated with high purchase intention for CLPs. The PLS-SEM results show that trust, environmental concern, attitude, and dispositional innovativeness are all significantly and positively associated with purchase intention. Carbon label cognition has no significant direct link to purchase intention but demonstrates a significant indirect relationship through attitude. Additionally, dispositional innovativeness is not only positively related to purchase intention but also serves as a significant boundary condition in these associations. The fsQCA results further reveal that high purchase intention is linked to complex configurational patterns of multiple interrelated factors. By adopting this integrated methodological approach, the theoretical understanding of CLP consumption behavior is extended, and actionable implications for improving carbon labeling systems and optimizing low-carbon retail strategies are provided.