A Study of Corporate Websites and Their E-Commerce Portals On the Communication of Sustainability for A Better Future

Abstract

E-commerce has revolutionized shopping over the years, offering vast opportunities for producers to highlight their goods and attract online shoppers. In recent times, heightened awareness of sustainability due to climate change has steered governments and businesses to pursue net zero goals by 2030-2050. This shift demands a strategic focus on infrastructure, supplier sustainability, managing packaging, delivery, returns, waste disposal, and community upliftment as a part of corporate responsibility. The aim of this qualitative research is to examine how leading global and Indian e-commerce portals communicate these initiatives on their corporate and online shopping websites. Growing awareness of sustainable environment initiatives and the circular economy drives supply chain partners and consumers to participate in the process. The study indicates that to build a better future, leading portals must enhance their efforts to achieve sustainability goals by more prominently engaging consumers at the point of purchase. Sharing sustainability and corporate responsibility initiatives and their outcomes is crucial for consumer participation, building brand loyalty, and fostering pride in contributing to environmental efforts. We argue that organizations must focus more on communicating sustainability initiatives on their corporate and e-commerce websites to engage customers for a better future.