Commentary

Is Green Really A Global Consumer Trend?

I went out to lunch one day last month and noticed the thermometer on 15th Street here in New York City read 96 degrees. That's pretty hot for June, and it has spurred lots of discussion around the office about the bumper crop of sweet corn that is now available at the Union Square Farmer's Market (about six weeks earlier than usual), mums about ready to bloom (if they bloom now, will they bloom again in September?) and sunflowers already six and seven feet tall.

"Global warming" is usually the concluding phrase after all of these exchanges. And now, as we near the end of the third month since the BP oil spill in the Gulf, it seems that everyone is talking about the environment.

This environmental conversation continues among Americans and widely in public policy arenas around the globe. But, is the environment a global consumer trend? That is, do consumers around the globe think about the environment and is it a trend that is global in its scope -- and global in its implications?

The short answer, it seems, is yes. In the soon-to-be-released GfK Roper Reports Worldwide G3 study, "Global Green Gauge," there are five clusters of consumers based upon green attitudes and behaviors.

The greenest segment is called the "Green inDeeds." This group works out to about 15% of the global population, and members of this group show the highest concern for the environment, putting their money where their mouths are when it comes to green behavior.

Perhaps not surprisingly, there are larger percentages of Green inDeeds in many of the markets where green has long been on the national agenda (mostly countries in the developed world like Sweden, Germany and Canada).

However, that's not to say they don't exist everywhere. In fact, there are relatively high proportions of Green inDeeds in developing markets such as Brazil as well. Egypt was a market that had a relatively smaller proportion of consumers falling into this segment.

Another group, called "Green In Need," exists almost exclusively in the developing world. They have the desire but lack the means and know-how to be greener. This group is about the same size as the Green inDeeds, but markets like Indonesia and Russia have very high proportions of their population falling into this segment.

However, it is important to point out that, if given the right tools, these people would most certainly climb the environmental ladder and become Green inDeeds. This is why green is truly a global consumer trend -- even in the markets where green behaviors are relatively low, there is interest and concern about the issue.

It's up to us to help translate those good intentions into good deeds.

3 comments about "Is Green Really A Global Consumer Trend? ".
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  1. Kevin Gaydosh from O'Brien et al, July 14, 2010 at 5:28 p.m.

    I'm going to get hated-on big time for this, and it's just my own personal feeling, but ... I really think we need to take a LOT of such Green research with a grain of corporate mined processed salt. What leads me to this? Three things: personal observation, simple economics and a hearty dose of human nature.
    First, the very premise is flawed. Almost any methodology is going to be biased based on the subject matter; it’s like asking “Are you for or against spousal abuse?” Or, “Do you think our company should require mandatory Diversity Training—Yes or No?” It’s the same here. Who’s going to admit to NOT being “green” to some extent (whether they actually are or not)? And surely no one can be against hypothetical steps/measures/causes purported to “save the planet” regardless of what it would mean -- in reality -- in terms of monetary costs, personal inconvenience or depriving oneself. My, the very thought!
    Be wary of such opinion polling, I say, and even green consumerism. On this subject too much stock is taken from “easy” feedback mechanisms such as bumper stickers, charitable giving to green causes, curbside recycling, voting for certain candidates, spending disposable income on supposedly “green” products. It's easy to slap a sticker, stroke a check, pull a lever, or buy a $3 cup of coffee.
    But ask for real-world changes that require more than minimal physical discomfort, economic costs or personal sacrifices, and you’ll see where the rubber really meets the road. Why do you think we have "curbside" recycling? Because few would do it otherwise.

  2. Hank Stewart from Green Team, July 14, 2010 at 5:40 p.m.

    I agree with the fundamental premise that environmental concerns are a global phenomenon (though not a "trend" as indicated in the headline). We've seen ample evidence of that in both our own research, and that conducted by others.

    Environmental concerns are especially high in many of the emerging markets because consumers there are experiencing the affects of environmental negligence and degradation up close and personal. For example, Brazilians are dialed in on Amazon deforestation because live with the issue every day. Ditto Indonesians and the demand for palm oil. Nineteen of the world's 20 most polluted cities are in China. This is bound to become more of an issue as the Chinese middle class continues to grow.

    Yes, environmentalism is a global concern. As, really, it should be.

  3. jacquie whitt, July 14, 2010 at 6:13 p.m.

    Far be it from me to detract from supporting the "green" movement. It's all part of being a citizen in the biggest consumer-driven society on the planet.
    As a frequent traveler to South America, including small villages, I have to say that developing countries are way behind the U.S. when it comes to shoe size. Even with our super green, eco-friendly, carbon neutral, environmentally-friendly, sustainable, locally grown, organic, ecological, bio-beneficial, biodegradable, renewable, non-toxic habits, let's face it, the inhabitants of developing nations will never catch up to us. We have turned being green into a consumer product.
    There is still plenty of the world that has not yet adopted the beast called consumerism as the core of their existence. While they have experimented with some bad habits including chopping down the rain forest and exposing children to chemicals in an effort to retrieve precious metals, they are trying to feed our beast.

    "Greenness" will be fully integrated in western society when it becomes a topic that is no longer worthy of being discussed. It will be part of us and we won't "see" it any longer as something unique. I think the developing countries are ahead of us in that respect.

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