On Ambivalence of China’s Emerging Middle Class on Green Consumption

Abstract

The green consumption with the theme of energy saving, environmental protection and health is the main driving force pulling the green industry and the basic aspect of building green economy. The emerging middle class with early awakening environmental consciousness, high requirements of environmental quality and the fame for China’s “environmental pioneers”, was once placed on with high hopes in terms of green consumption. But so far, the Chinese middle class has still kept in a contradictory state in green consumption with much talk and little action, many complaints and little self-discipline, philosophy first, action behind, and progress slow. Its root cause is that in the present-day China, the consumer mentality of the emerging middle class at all levels is far away from the requirements of the green consumption.