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Despite fears that green shopping or living would become a casualty of the financial squeeze; consumers remain eager to become greener citizens. In fact, recent findings from the Future Foundation's biannual quantitative survey reveals that 73% of UK consumers still have significant concerns about what they can do personally to protect the planet - a sharp rise of 33% over the last two years.

An additional research project led by the Future Foundation entitled "Climate Change and Brands", revealed there is a clear willingness for greener living with exactly the same percentage of consumers - 73% - wanting a tax reduction on green products. This shows that there is only so far consumers will go without intervention at a Governmental and business level in their bid to become environmentally friendly.

"Consumers are looking for guidance on how environmental and economic issues can work in tandem," commented UK MD Christophe Jouan. "Their willingness to make a difference even when times are hard is very encouraging and it's revealing that the findings from this study show us that almost half, 46%, of UK consumers would be agreeable to having a limited choice to ensure that the purchase of green goods becomes easier.

"However, we should recognise that the results also show us that the consumer's natural instinct when times are hard is to adopt green initiatives that are most likely to save them money. Businesses have an initial responsibility to help educate the consumer and drive change on a bigger scale."

When times are hard consumers will spend and consume less, consequently it is likely that cost will remain a major barrier to consumers when making green choices. So, although consumers show signs that they would be willing to sacrifice freedom of choice by asking businesses not to stock products that are damaging to the environment, they expect competitive pricing attached to their green basket of goods.

Not surprisingly, the current economic climate has forced a definite downward trend as to how much the consumer would be prepared to pay for that limited choice which goes some way to explaining this trend.  In 2007, 51% of consumers would have been willing to pay as much as 10% more for grocery items which were not harmful to the environment. However, in 2008 only 31% make the same claim and 36% of UK consumers have cited that they would like financial incentives to do more.

Shared Responsibility
All of these findings point to the fact that the consumer considers going green to be a shared responsibility and that, without intervention, it is unlikely they will ever fully embrace a greener lifestyle.  In fact 71% of UK consumers feel that the Government should be responsible for tackling green issues, followed by businesses, 60%, and then them as individuals, 55%. If businesses fail to take the lead in this area the Future Foundation's research show there could be a serious consequence of consumer disillusionment, which could further limit tangible consumer action. 72% of UK consumers cited that businesses should take the issue of climate change more seriously and only 12% trust private sector groups when it comes to taking advice on the green agenda, the findings actually highlight a worrying trend in consumer disillusionment already.

Christophe Jouan concluded:
"It is encouraging that the average consumer still wants to take positive steps towards a greener lifestyle. The point of disconnect comes in the fact that the consumer is looking to businesses and the Government to advise them and help them to follow the best course of action rather than take responsibility for their actions themselves and this needs to change. The take out is that those in power need to first acknowledge consumers efforts and enthusiasm and then help to drive further change by leading by positive examples and tangible actions - only then will we be in a situation where the high levels of consumer desire to go green that we are seeing is converted at the same rate into positive action."