Consumers have been given increased responsibility for global environmental challenges through the use of the so-called “new” environmental policy instruments (NEPIs) like eco-labels. NEPIs rely mainly on moral suasion by providing consumers with information about the environmental impact of certain products and services (Jordan et al 2004). The success of eco-labels has been explained as a function of numerous variables, including the degree of consumer’s environmental awareness and their awareness of the relevant eco-labels. Nevertheless, the differences in regulatory approaches to consumer protection and thus differences across regulatory regimes has not to date been used as a predictor for consumer attitudes towards NEPIs like eco-labels. By using environmental problems caused by the production and consumption of textiles as an example, I show that there are significant national differences between Norwegian, French and German respondent’s attitudes towards the role and responsibility of the consumers, the industry and the government. It is argued in this paper that this variation, and thus the potential for success for eco-labels, is likely due to the different history of consumer and producer organization, and in the end the different regulation of consumption in the three countries studied. These factors have influenced the consumers in the countries studied differently with regard to their conception of the consumer’s responsibility and their attitudes towards eco-labels. Therefore, regulatory efforts to solve global environmental problems, like the ones caused by the production and consumption of textiles, should consider regime differences regarding the role of the consumers.
