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Social Research Digest – December 2012

Summary

The study is an in-depth online survey of consumer attitudes, motivations and behaviors relating to sustainable consumption. It was conducted among 6,224 respondents across six major international markets (Brazil, China, Germany, India, the United Kingdom and the United States).

Key Findings

• Consumers are buying less and buying better, while price, performance and credibility remain barriers to further growing sustainable consumption.
• Two-thirds of consumers in six countries say that “as a society, we need to consume a lot less to improve the environment for future generations” (66%), and that they feel “a sense of responsibility to purchase products that are good for the environment and society” (65%).
• The affinity toward sustainable consumption is being led by consumers in developing markets (Brazil, China, India), who are more than twice as likely as their counterparts in developed markets (Germany, UK, US) to report purchasing products because of environmental and social benefits (51% to 22%, respectively), being willing to pay more for sustainable products (60% to 26%) and encouraging others to buy from companies that are socially and environmentally responsible (70% to 34%).
• However, significant barriers to sustainable purchasing remain for consumers across all markets, including perceptions of product performance, high prices, skepticism about product claims and a lack of knowledge about what makes a product socially or environmentally responsible.
• Two-thirds of consumers globally (67%) are “interested in sharing their ideas, opinions and experiences with companies to help them develop better products or create new solutions,” while seven in ten consumers (72%) globally “believe in voting and advocating for issues important to me.”

Author(s)

BBMG, GlobeScan and Sustainability

Source

PDF report

Tags: BBMG, consumer attitudes, GlobeScan, sustainability, sustainable consumption