Sustainability: Key insights, data and solutions

Here’s Ipsos' best and freshest data and actionable intelligence on sustainability for business leaders, policymakers and insights professionals

 

The ongoing “polycrisis” offers plenty of problems — but climate change is the dark cloud hanging over all other possible futures. With brands and institutions' ESG actions (and inactions) under increasing scrutiny, Ipsos offers a leading sustainability practice, from innovation to reputation. Here are some important insights.

Key takeaways:

 

 A majority in the U.S. and around the world say they buy brands that reflect their values 

 

 

In our polarized yet interconnected modern world, the importance of values has been rising: In fact, 71% of people say “I tend to buy brands that reflect my personal values,” a number that’s risen by double digits in the last 10 years across all trended markets for the Ipsos Global Trends survey. (Read more.)

How attitudes on climate change are shifting 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The data reflects  a growing feeling of powerlessness in the fight to tackle the climate crisis, especially among younger people. The number who think their government has a clear plan to tackle climate change has declined since 2022. Those who think their government would be failing its citizens if it didn’t act against climate change is down across most countries in the last two years. (Read more.)

Perspectives around the world on plastic pollution 

 

 

 

 

Strong majorities across 32 countries agree with a range of bans on plastics and byproducts, while there’s slightly lower support for putting more onus on governments and manufacturers. (Read more.)

Americans are unhappy with the federal government's energy policy 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Most registered voters believe that the federal government’s energy policy is off on the wrong track and would prefer an “all-of-the-above” approach to the nation’s energy policy that includes using natural gas, oil, and renewable energy sources. Many registered voters, including Democrats, Republicans, and independents, support increasing the country's energy infrastructure and increasing domestic production of oil and natural gas, and most are opposed to regulations that would ban gasoline, diesel, and hybrid vehicles. (Read more.)

Many Americans report that extreme or unusual weather is becoming more frequent

The reason for the gradual uptick in the concern about the environment may be related to people's lived experiences. Compared to a decade ago, majorities of Americans are noticing that unusual weather for the season and extreme heat are becoming more common in their communities. (Read more.)

Partisanship colors how Americans feel about climate change

Why are climate change solutions so few and far between? One reason: climate change is caught up int he partisan nature of U.S. politics. (Read more.)

Though we see a shared responsibility for climate action, concern about future generations is slipping

A new global Ipsos survey of 21,231 adults reveals that, on average across 29 countries, just under a third (31%) of people agree that their government has a clear plan in place for how government, businesses and people are going to work together to tackle climate change. (Read more.)

A majority agree that their country should do more in the fight against climate change

There is consensus that countries should do more to combat climate change (a global average of 66% agree), and that the greater burden should fall on countries that have historically contributed more to climate change (62%) and on countries that are currently more economically developed (70%). However, there is agreement across the 29 countries (averaging at 75%) that we cannot fully tackle climate change unless all countries work together. (Read more.)

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