Giving Compass' Take:

• Here are five suggestions inspired by academic literature, case studies, and the latest marketing trends, for companies to encourage their consumers to go green. 

• What can donors do to expand this movement and help businesses succeed? What are you doing as a consumer to live a "greener" lifestyle? 

•  Here are some proven ways to increase green behavior. 

Sustainability appears to be at a tipping point. Businesses large and small increasingly incorporate initiatives to address climate change, plastic waste, deforestation, pollution, human health and a host of other environmental challenges into their operations, supply chains and strategic planning.

Consumers, however, remain stubbornly out of step. While surveys indicate that consumers say they want to act more sustainably or buy greener products, research finds that few actually do. Indeed, with the exception of money-saving LED bulbs, virtually no green product commands significant market share.

This must change for 2020 and beyond. In our latest research, published in "Sustainability: The Journal of Record," we argue that businesses should take the lead and nudge consumers to honor the triple bottom line of people, planet and profit.

How can businesses nudge their consumers to go green? We identify five principles for businesses to follow, drawn from academic literature, case studies and the latest marketing trends, to make greener products and behaviors more appealing to mainstream consumers.

  1. Promote the consumer value of green products.
  2. Win hearts, not just minds.
  3. Make green normal.
  4. Leverage mainstream social media influencers.
  5. Dialogue with public policymakers.

Read the full article about encouraging consumers to go green by Edwin Stafford and Antje Graul at GreenBiz.