["Business Ethics, the Environment &Responsibility, EarlyView. ", "\nABSTRACT\nEthical consumption has become increasingly central to consumers' decisions over the past decade. In response, scholars have examined how ethical buying behaviors unfold over time. Despite the growing interest, the effect of emotional intelligence (henceforth: EI) on ethical consumption remains underexplored. Moreover, the existing literature provides inconsistent evidence regarding this association. The present paper reconciles these discrepancies by identifying the mechanism through which EI is associated with ethical consumption. Drawing on Regulatory Focus Theory and Spirit Level Theory, we propose that the link between EI and ethical consumption is shaped by goal orientation and social status. To test these propositions, we analyze data from an online cross‐sectional survey of 340 consumers recruited via Prolific Academic in the United Kingdom, employing mediation, moderation, and moderated mediation analyses. Our findings indicate that (a) EI is positively associated with ethical consumption, (b) prevention and promotion foci mediate this association, (c) social status anxiety moderates it, and (d) social status anxiety attenuates the indirect association between EI and ethical consumption via prevention focus. We advance research on ethics and consumer behavior by identifying the role of EI in ethical consumption decisions and clarifying when, how, and why this association occurs. We conclude with theoretical and managerial implications and avenues for future research.\n"]