Save the Planet, Save the Economy

4th of November 2008 - 8:40 AM

Most people in the US say tackling climate change will boost the economy, according to new consumer research published by The Climate Group and brand strategy and design consultancy Lippincott.

Most people in the US say tackling climate change will boost the
economy, according to new consumer research published by The Climate
Group and brand strategy and design consultancy Lippincott. And,
despite the crisis on Wall Street, Americans are more committed than
ever to taking action: consumer commitment to personally doing
something about climate change by making a significant effort in how
they live their lives has risen-even among those who feel financially
worse off. Climate change is also seen as a more pressing issue than it
was last year.

Consumers also expressed a strong preference for specific
measures that help them save energy and save money, such as permanent
price reductions on energy efficient light bulbs, discounts on
insulation and help in finding simple ways to reduce energy use such as
washing clothes in cold water.

Results of the survey show that people are prepared to make
changes to their lifestyles and spend extra time to fight climate
change. People also believe that tackling climate change will not cost
them money, and many realize they can save money by combating climate
change.

Some highlights of the survey include:
• 63% of Americans said they believe tackling climate change will benefit the economy
• 52% said tackling climate change will not personally cost them money
•
Most prefer (as they always did) to contribute by changing their
behavior and spending extra time rather than spending extra money
•
Those feeling financially worse off than last year are scarcely less
committed than those feeling better off: 41% of people who said they
believe themselves to be financially worse off also said ''I am
focusing on making changes to my life to combat climate change,'' only
three percentage points below those who did not feel financially worse
off
• The percentage of people who selected 6 or 7 on a scale of 1
to 7 for level of agreement to the statement "Climate change and how we
respond to it are among the biggest issues I worry about today" was
just 18% in 2007, but climbed dramatically to 24% in 2008
• The
percentage of people who selected 6 or 7 on a scale of 1 to 7 for level
of agreement to the statement "I am personally making a significant
effort to help reduce climate change through how I live my life today"
similarly climbed from 13% in 2007 to 21% in 2008

Callum Grieve, Director of External Affairs with The Climate Group,
said, "Now, more than ever, consumers see the value of going green.
They know that saving energy also means saving money. People also
believe fighting climate change will be good for the economy, and they
expect business and government to stick to their commitments despite
the economic downturn. The Together campaign makes it easy for
consumers to purchase energy efficient products-helping people save
energy, money and the planet."