Global Impact, Local Action: Understanding Consumer Responses to Sustainability in a Globalized World
In 2025, record-breaking temperatures, escalating global political unrest, and a looming economic recession have intensified consumer anxiety, increasing pressure and expectations around their purchasing decisions worldwide. As people face these global challenges, they are more frequently choosing sustainable options, which fundamentally transform the connection between consumption and societal well-being. Sustainability is defined as “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987, p. 8). Although often linked to environmental issues, sustainability includes three interrelated dimensions: environmental (the natural world), social (people and communities), and economic (long-term prosperity) (Griffith, 2021; Kim et al., 2024). This framework is commonly referred to as the triple bottom line, or the “3Ps”: people, planet, and profit.
The guest editors welcome conceptual, review, and empirical papers that are methodologically rigorous. We are open to a wide array of approaches and are particularly interested in research that can illuminate the complexities of consumers and their sustainable choices in an international context. This may include rich qualitative studies (e.g., in-depth interviews, netnography), insightful quantitative analyses (e.g., cross-cultural surveys, experiments), and multi-method designs. We also encourage submissions that draw on diverse theoretical perspectives to advance our understanding of the global sustainable consumer.
Submissions information
All paper submissions will be subject to a double-blind peer review process. For detailed information on formatting requirements, please refer to the “Author Guidelines” section on the journal’s official website. The guest editors aim to decide on manuscripts in not more than two rounds of revision.
Please submit the manuscript to: https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/imrev
Questions about the special issue can be directed at the guest editors via e-mail: sustainabilityIMR@gmail.com
List of topic areas
- Theme 1: International Marketing Concepts in Sustainable Consumption
– Consumer Identity and Orientation
– Country-of-Origin Effects
– Consumer Ethnocentrism and Animosity
– Global vs. Local Brands
– Psychic Distance
- Theme 2: Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Sustainable Consumer Behavior
– Pro-Environmental Behavior
– Circular Economy Practices
– Sustainable Communication and Persuasion
– Perceptions of Greenwashing
– Ethical Consumption Trade-offs
Submissions Information
Submissions are made using ScholarOne Manuscripts. Registration and access are available at: https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/imrev
Author guidelines must be strictly followed. Please see: https://www.emeraldgrouppublishing.com/journal/imr
Authors should select (from the drop-down menu) the special issue title at the appropriate step in the submission process, i.e. in response to “Please select the issue you are submitting to.”
Submitted articles must not have been previously published, nor should they be under consideration for publication anywhere else, while under review for this journal.
Key deadlines
Opening date for manuscripts submissions: 01/11/2026
Closing date for manuscripts submission: 31/01/2027
For more details refer here
