The minefield of information, disinformation, and buzzwords is causing chaos in terms of perception and consumer choices.
More than half of the British public feels confused by sustainability because of the language being used. Terms like ‘net zero’ and ‘decarbonisation’ are leaving people puzzled, with the vast majority urging businesses to do more but very few holding out hope for significant change.
Overall, 76% of UK consumers want organisations to do more to demystify things, but just 13% believe this will happen. Only 22% of respondents expect to see the Government deliver more guidance, despite overwhelming support for clearer information on how individuals can do more to protect the embattled environment.
Almost one-in-seven of us say it is the responsibility of businesses to explain green language and help people take appropriate steps to reduce impact. The Semantics of Sustainability Report uses data from work carried out by market research agency Opinium, which involved 2,000 British adults. Conducted on behalf of Brand2Life, it also identifies the consumer sectors people are most concerned about. These included:
*Food brand claims – 35%
*Energy sector claims – 33%
*Automotive claims – 32%
38% of consumers admitted to ignoring what brands try to tell them, but 49% want to learn more about sustainability terms and 70% believe it’s important to make a personal contribution to a sustainable future. One quarter say they expect increasingly tight regulations to clear up how sustainable companies are.
Last month, a YouGov poll on behalf of Friends of the Earth found that 65% of the British public want to see grants introduced to help low income households with net zero transition.
Image: John Cameron / Unsplash
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