According to a report from international research company Mintel, a growing number of British consumers are losing faith in our ability to save the planet. Its flagship Global Outlook on Sustainability report reveals a crisis in eco-confidence, as the number of consumers who say: ‘If we act now, we still have time to save the planet’ has declined ten percentage points in the UK, from a majority of 54% in 2021 to a minority of 44% in 2024. Globally, the number has declined from 55% to 48% over the same period, but of any countries surveyed, Germany has the lowest belief that there is still time to save the planet, now at 36% down from 49%.
People are also becoming less convinced that they personally can make a difference to the planet’s future, with a fall in the number of consumers globally who believe their actions can make a positive difference to the environment. This figure has slipped four percentage points from 51% in 2021 to a minority of 47% in 2024. In the UK, the difference is more dramatic, falling from 56% to 45%.
Playing their part to help focus the world’s attention on the environment, eco-activists are increasingly welcomed as educators in many regions. While sometimes considered controversial, 42% of consumers globally agree that eco-activists have raised their awareness of environmental issues, up from 39% in 2023. The increasing role of activists has been particularly noticeable in the UK (up from 30% to 37% over the same period) and the US (up from 36% to 43%). The weather is playing a part in driving Brits’ awareness to look out for the environment as the number of Brits doing more to personally protect the environment has risen substantially from 39% in 2022 to 45% in 2024.
Said Richard Cope, Senior Trends Consultant, Mintel Consulting: “Whilst the experience of climate change and its existential and public health threats can awaken and engage consumers, a growing realisation of the scale of the increasingly pressing challenges can also erode optimism and create a sense of feeling overwhelmed. This is exactly what we’ve seen play out during the course of this extensive study, with the belief that we still have time to save the planet ebbing away.
“Increasing exposure to extreme weather events, media coverage of successive COP events and eco-activists all play a role. While activism, legal challenges and legislation are serving to educate consumers on their rights and sharpen their awareness of what brands should be doing and what constitutes greenwashing, for some, increasing education is contributing to despondency.
“Brands could play a role in reassuring and educating people, but the challenge is that people are sceptical about brands’ green credentials. Four in 10 (39%) Brits say they don’t trust companies to be honest about their environmental impact, compared to 35% of consumers globally. Although this global figure has been fairly static since 2021, it is not improving and poses a major challenge to brands, especially in Europe, where approaching half of consumers voice distrust.”
So, what can brands do to build trust among consumers?
Concluded Cope: “Brands can encourage consumers to make more sustainable choices with clear communications and metrics. The top consumer choice for the type of on-pack sustainability claim or label that would significantly impact their purchasing decision is a Nutriscore-style, simple rating scale (32% of Brits; 30% of global consumers) that shows the environmental impact (e.g. a 1-5 scale or red/yellow/green colour coding) of a product. For consumers, a single label could ultimately liberate them from a dizzying, distracting and confusing array of competing organic, fair trade and other claims.
“The second most popular on-pack sustainability claim or label people are looking for is information on the impact the product has on people (e.g. number of farmers lifted out of poverty) (21% of Brits; 27% of global consumers). This signals a need for the climate crisis—and its solutions—to be humanised.
“As climate change has developed into a public health crisis of killer heatwaves and pollution, personal health should be positioned and prioritised as a benefit of sustainable products, wherever possible. For brands’ sustainability campaigns to be more effective, they need to focus on showing the benefits to consumers in terms of efficiency, frugality and wellbeing on an individual level, ahead of their benefits to the overall environment.” For more visit mintel.com
