  With online shopping gaining massive popularity over the past few years,
e-commerce platforms can play a significant role in tackling climate change and
other environmental problems. In this study, we report that the
"attitude-behavior" gap identified by prior sustainable consumption literature
also exists in an online setting. We propose SEER, a concept design for online
shopping websites to help consumers make more sustainable choices. We introduce
explainable environmental impact ratings to increase knowledge, trust, and
convenience for consumers willing to purchase eco-friendly products. In our
quasi-randomized case-control experiment with 98 subjects across the United
States, we found that the case group using SEER demonstrates significantly more
eco-friendly consumption behavior than the control group using a traditional
e-commerce setting. While there are challenges in generating reliable
explanations and environmental ratings for products, if implemented, in the
United States alone, SEER has the potential to reduce approximately 2.88
million tonnes of carbon emission every year.
