Being green is growing in importance, and it’s an issue companies should ignore at their peril.
According to new research commissioned by Yahoo, more than three in four consumers (77%) define themselves as "green". 57% claim to have made a green purchase decision within the past six months.
In spite of broad support for green issues across the board, consumers varied somewhat in their commitment to the cause. Almost a quarter (23%) state that they are "deeply committed" to environmental issues, while a similar amount (24%, notably those in the 18-34 age group) think being green to be “trendy".
At present, green consumers are most likely to make sustainability a factor when buying cleaning and personal care products. Yet impact on the environment is expected to grow in importance for larger purchase decisions, with 71% of respondents stating an interest in buying an environmentally sound car in the future.
Yahoo’s survey was conducted face-to-face with 1,500 18-to-54-year-olds in Los Angeles, Chicago and Portland, Oregon. Respondents taking part in this study were initially recruited online.