Consumer Attention, Green Attitude, and Climate Change Awareness in Green Purchase Behaviour: Insights from an Emerging Economy

South Africa, like many other emerging economies, has witnessed a growing awareness of climate change in recent years, driven by school-based initiatives, media coverage, and non-governmental campaigns. However, evidence indicates that this awareness does not consistently translate into green purchasing behaviour. Drawing on quantitative data collected from 384 respondents residing in urban and semi-urban areas of the Eastern Cape Province, this study examines the impact of consumer attention to green communication, green attitudes, and awareness of climate change on green purchasing behaviour after controlling for demographic variable effects (gender, age, education and income level). Primary data were obtained through a survey and statistically analysed using SMART-PLS 4 software. The results of the structural equation modelling reveal that consumer attention and green attitude significantly influence green purchasing behaviour, consistent with the Theory of Planned Behaviour. In contrast, awareness of climate change exhibits a non-significant negative effect on green purchase behaviour, an outcome that diverges from existing empirical evidence, which generally reports positive associations between these variables in other emerging economies. This finding suggests that in contexts where poverty and income inequality persist, increasing awareness of climate change may paradoxically correspond with a reduction in green purchasing. The study recommends implementing strategies to enhance access to eco-friendly products and reduce their cost, thereby improving affordability in resource-constrained nations.