UK consumers' sustainability score drops - ESW report

By

Nigel TAYLOR

Published
Apr 22, 2024

The UK consumers’ crown for being among the leaders in sustainability values is slipping. It appears they’re less sustainably minded than they were just a year ago, according to a new ‘Global Voices’  survey from digital firm ESW.

Scoring just 46 (out of a possible total of 100) this year versus 50 in 2023, the UK also lags the global average of 55 on the sustainability index. 

The report also reveals that some emerging markets are more concerned about sustainability than their counterparts in more economically mature markets.  For example, India (75), the United Arab Emirates (74), China (70), and Mexico (67) topped the list, with Japan (32), Germany (46), Switzerland (48), and Canada (48) all coming in with the lowest sustainability scores.

The index scores the percentage of consumer responses of respondents that ‘agree' or ‘strongly agree’ with 14 of the sustainability sentiments in ESW’s Global Voices study, which polled over 18,000 consumers in 18 markets.

Other key findings include that, in general, younger people are more concerned with sustainability than older generations (Gen Z - 61, Millennials - 60, Gen X - 53, Baby Boomers - 49).

Within the UK, Gen Z scores highest compared to other generations, yet also declined compared to last year. Gen Z scored 56 on the sustainability index (compared to 63 last year), but still rank higher this year than Millennials (55), Gen X (41), and Baby Boomers (40).

Globally, 55% of the consumers surveyed said they’re more aware of greenwashing than they were a year ago, and 27% said they consider a brand’s environmental transparency record when making a purchase. Luxury shoppers are also 1.5 times more likely to be sustainably-attuned shoppers.

Shoppers who value brand authenticity are 50% more likely to be environmentally-attuned. Globally, 63% of shoppers said that they value brand authenticity and want brands to be truthful and transparent about company environmental credentials.

Martim Avillez Oliveira, Chief Revenue Office, ESW, said: “The data suggests that while UK consumers have been encouraged to make environmentally responsible choices for years, perhaps the intensity of that messaging, along with the increasing strain that inflation places on household incomes, may have consumers at a tipping point.”