A new research study into consumer attitudes to global warming and environmental policy has revealed that most consumers are cynical of the role of government, media and even activists in the environmental debate.
The “Dirty Money?” research study, commissioned by Blackburn-based retail and online eco megastore Neco, draws on survey responses from almost 1,800 general consumers and draws stark contrasts between where the debate is conducted politically and how consumers feel about the world.
A staggering 98% of consumers in the survey agree with the statement “Regardless of the cause of global warming, it is unacceptable to continue to pollute the world,” revealing a level of frustration and beliefs that policy makers seem to be missing the point.
“These are extraordinary statistics, ”said Julian Smith, CEO of Neco. “Consumers are saying that it is they who need to act and that governments and media are more concerned with the political machinations of environmental policy rather than the future of the planet – thank goodness for sensible consumers.
“The most telling thing about this data is that all geographies surveyed, all generations and even global warming sceptics hold the same beliefs, they are saying that in the greater scheme of things, the cause of warming is secondary to the mess we are making of the planet,” Smith concluded.
The research also reveals beliefs that there is nowhere near enough effort going into the creation of green jobs, that people are confused by and mistrusting of carbon credit trading schemes, and the role of big business in the green economy.