A Taxonomy of Responsible Consumption Initiatives and Their Social Equity Implications

Abstract

In recent years, responsible consumption has emerged as a central practice in organizational transformation towards more sustainable and socially committed models; however, the real impact of these initiatives in terms of social equity has not yet been sufficiently systematized in the scientific literature. This systematic review analyzed organizational responsible consumption initiatives and their contribution to social equity by searching Scopus and Web of Science, applying the PRISMA 2020 protocol to identify, select, and analyze empirical studies published between 2010 and 2025 globally. From 228 documents initially identified, 47 studies that met the eligibility criteria were included after a rigorous selection process. The results revealed a taxonomy of eleven thematic clusters of organizational initiatives that address multiple dimensions of equity: access, distributive, recognition, participatory, contextual, environmental, social, temporal, technological, and relational. Public and social organizations are leading initiatives for equitable access and democratic participation, while the private sector focuses on sustainable business models and technological innovation. The most effective initiatives integrate multiple dimensions of equity and prevent the reproduction of existing inequalities. However, significant limitations were identified, such as greenwashing risks, scalability challenges, and unequal benefit sharing. Evidence suggests that the transformative potential of responsible consumption critically depends on systemic approaches, cross-sector partnerships, and institutional frameworks that ensure long-term, sustainable, equitable impacts.