DOI: 10.11118/ecos2026_015

ONLINE PLATFORMS AS TOOLS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL CONSUMER EDUCATION

Lívia Kolibárová¹, Irena Baláková¹

¹ Department of Marketing and Trade, Faculty of Business and Economics, Mendel University in Brno, Zemědělská 1, 613 00 Brno, Czech Republic

In the digital era, online platforms are becoming a significant channel for environmental consumer education. This paper aims to identify consumers’ preferred options for environmental education through online platforms, evaluate their actual utilization, and describe the motivations and barriers to engagement. The empirical section is based on the quantitative questionnaire survey primary data. To statistically verify relations, Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient and Pearson’s χ²-test were applied; furthermore, factor and cluster analyses were conducted. The results indicate that 92% of respondents utilize online platforms to obtain environmental information, with social media, and online articles being predominant. A weak positive correlation (ρ = 0,29) was found between the perceived availability of eco-friendly options in the place of residence and declared pro-environmental behavior, whereas a moderate positive correlation (ρ = 0,53) was demonstrated between the subjective level of environmental education and pro-environmental behavior. The preferences regarding platform types differ statistically significantly based on the respondents’ economic activity. Factor analysis identified three dimensions of attitudes toward online environmental education. The cluster analysis identified three distinct groups of respondents—passive online users, highly active and university-educated learners utilizing a wide spectrum of digital tools and disengaged non-users. The formulated recommendations are primarily directed at educational institutions and non-profit organizations.

Keywords: environmental education, online platforms, social media, sustainability, consumer behavior, digital literacy, cluster analysis, ecological literacy

pages: 16-16, online: 2026