According to a report on sustainable consumer behaviours, appetite for reducing emissions have plateaued among consumers amid growing fatigue and scepticism.
Consumer behaviours are an essential component of the UK’s sustainability journey, with 24.6 per cent of total UK greenhouse gas emissions coming from households as a result of consumer expenditure. These emissions are primarily from heating and travel, but the ways people shop are a large contributing factor.
According to the Sustainable Consumer report from Deloitte, while there is evidence of sustainability fatigue, awareness of climate change issues among consumers is rising year-on-year. The report states one in three consumers say they are anxious about climate change, with this number increasing to one in two among 18-34 year-olds.
Alongside this, one in three consumers say they are willing to pay more for sustainable products and services, while half say they wouldn’t. This highlights a need for financial accessibility among sustainable products and services, as the appetite is there while financial situations serve as a barrier.
The global circular economy represents a $2-3 billion USD market in the coming years, projected to reduce emissions by 40 per cent and generate nearly two million jobs. Consumers are also setting their sights on circularity.
The main commitment to sustainability, outlined by 68 per cent of survey respondents, was to reduce their use of single-use plastics. However, there was no evidence that consumers have made significant progress supporting this issue. Instead, the repair and reuse of products has expanded.
Consumers have shifted to more sustainable shopping habits inadvertently due to thriftier shopping behaviours. For example, 55 per cent of consumers repaired an item instead of buying a new or equivalent item, 46 per cent bought second hand items, and 42 per cent paid more for longer-lasting products in light of the cost-of-living crisis. What’s more 75 per cent of consumers are open to considering using a repair service, and two thirds take a product’s reparability and durability into consideration before making a purchase. This reflects an adjustment in attitudes in favour of circularity.
These habits once again highlight the significance of affordability when it comes to sustainable products and services.
Importantly, consumers see the businesses selling their products and services as responsible for the impact of them, rather than placing the pressure on themselves to change their habits to be more sustainable. 45 per cent of survey respondents said they rely on businesses to offer sustainable products and services as standard. This includes return, repair, and upcycling schemes offered by businesses alongside their products.
In spite of thriftier shopping habits, everyday patterns of behaviour reflect the fatigue highlighted in the report. According to the report, in 2024 less consumers claim to have limited their water use, recycled or composted household waste, limited their use of single-use plastics, and used their car less compared to 2023 results. Generally speaking, less consumers this year undertook efforts to reduce their energy consumption at home compared to 2023.
Overall, consumers are opting to spend less, resulting in more sustainable reuse and repair decisions, but these results are largely unintended outcomes of a more core focus: affordability. Energy efficiency management has slightly declined among consumers compared to 2023, and, although consumer awareness of climate issues is increasing, the sound of the sustainability drum is starting to fall on deaf ears.
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