Consumers demand green action from UK’s top brands
9th November 2007 by Alex Briggs
The °Climate Group has launched findings of the UK’s first ever Climate Brand Index which tracks year-on-year consumer perceptions of how brands are performing on climate change. The opportunity for companies to lead is clear: people want brands (rather than green specialists) to play a bigger role in tackling climate change. More consumers now say that they are positively choosing brands for environmental reasons, than are rejecting them. And many intend to make climate-friendly choices, from choosing an energy tariff to buying their everyday shopping.
It is clear that green behaviour is no longer a niche activity. According to the research more than 80% of the mass market have made some effort, though the proportion who have let green issues influence what they buy is only half that. When they do, it is consumer-facing brands – not green specialists – that people are looking to for solutions.
Climate Brand Index
The research, conducted over the summer, currently puts Tesco at the top of the UK Climate Brand Index, and GE at the top in the US, with the top five as follows:
UK
1. Tesco
2. BP
3. The Co-operative
4. M&S
5. Sainsbury’s
US
1. GE
2. Toyota
3. BP
4. Ford
5. Honda
