Four In Five (81%) Canadians Are Interested In Learning More About "Green" Financial Products And Services

Toronto, ON - It appears that when it comes to their finances, Canadians are ready to go "green". According to a new study conducted by Ipsos Reid, the trend toward environmental awareness and responsibility is spilling over into new areas, including Canadians' preferences with their banking.

Thinking first about the environment in general, the numbers show it is an important issue in the minds of most Canadians. In fact, three in four (75%) say it is very important (ranked 8-10 on a 10-point scale of importance) while only 3% say it is not important at all (ranked 1-3 on a 10-point scale).

There are a wide variety of "green" financial products and services across the globe. Many of these products and services provide funding or support to an environmental cause or organization, for example, a credit card which donates a portion of card spend to the WWF. Other "green" products provide benefits to customers for making environmentally-friendly decisions or purchases, for example, a preferred auto loan rate for consumers purchasing energy-efficient vehicles.

Imagining now that one of the financial institutions they deal with began offering "green" financial products or services, eight in ten (81%) Canadians say they would be interested (30% "very interested"/51% "somewhat interested") in learning more about these products or services.

• Canadians living in Quebec (84%) and Atlantic Canada (84%) are most likely to be interested, followed by residents of Ontario (80%), British Columbia (78%) and the Prairies (77%).

These are the findings of an Ipsos Reid poll conducted from May 30 to June 11, 2008. This online survey of 2,280 Canadian adults was conducted via the Ipsos I-Say Online Panel, Ipsos Reid's national online panel. The results are based on a sample where quota sampling and weighting are employed to balance demographics and ensure that the sample's composition reflects that of the actual Canadian population according to Census data. Quota samples with weighting from the Ipsos online panel provide results that are intended to approximate a probability sample. An unweighted probability sample of this size, with a 100% response rate, would have an estimated margin of error of +/- 2.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

For more information on this news release, please contact:
Sean Simpson
Research Manager
Ipsos Reid
Public Affairs
(416) 572-4474
[email protected]

About Ipsos Reid
Ipsos Reid is Canada's market intelligence leader, the country's leading provider of public opinion research, and research partner for loyalty and forecasting and modelling insights. With operations in eight cities, Ipsos Reid employs more than 600 research professionals and support staff in Canada. The company has the biggest network of telephone call centres in the country, as well as the largest pre-recruited household and online panels. Ipsos Reid's marketing research and public affairs practices offer the premier suite of research vehicles in Canada, all of which provide clients with actionable and relevant information. Staffed with seasoned research consultants with extensive industry-specific backgrounds, Ipsos Reid offers syndicated information or custom solutions across key sectors of the Canadian economy, including consumer packaged goods, financial services, automotive, retail, and technology & telecommunications. Ipsos Reid is an Ipsos company, a leading global survey-based market research group.

To learn more, please visit www.ipsos.ca.

About Ipsos
Ipsos is a leading global survey-based market research company, owned and managed by research professionals. Ipsos helps interpret, simulate, and anticipate the needs and responses of consumers, customers, and citizens around the world.

Member companies assess market potential and interpret market trends. They develop and build brands. They help clients build long-term relationships with their customers. They test advertising and study audience responses to various media. They measure public opinion around the globe.

Ipsos member companies offer expertise in advertising, customer loyalty, marketing, media, and public affairs research, as well as forecasting, modeling, and consulting. Ipsos has a full line of custom, syndicated, omnibus, panel, and online research products and services, guided by industry experts and bolstered by advanced analytics and methodologies. The company was founded in 1975 and has been publicly traded since 1999.

In 2007, Ipsos generated global revenues of e927.2 million ($1.27 billion U.S.).

Visit www.ipsos.com to learn more about Ipsos offerings and capabilities.

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