Ethical Consumption Cap

The term “ethical consumption cap” describes all the forces that dampen or delimit a con- sumer’s attempts to consume ethically. It replaces the popular concept of the ethical consumption “gap’” sometimes also called the attitude–behaviour gap because it describes all the reasons that explain why consumers’ not-so-ethical behaviours do not always align with their highly ethical attitudes. The meta- phor of the gap suggests that it is possible to find ways to “close the gap”, so that ethical attitudes are matched by equally ethical behaviours. However, the ethical consump- tion cap emphasises that it is often very diffi- cult for consumers to act as ethically as they would like. As such, even though change can be made to empower and encourage ethical behaviours, there is always a limit, or “cap”, on what an individual can achieve. Thus, the gap and cap are similar concepts but differ in terms of their emphasis, raising different questions for researchers, practitioners, and other stakeholders – not least the consumers in question.