What assures consumers - Attitides towards Businesses climate change claims
24/04/2007
Consumers want independent proof of corporations' environmental claims - Survey reveals public want Government action on products which cause climate change
A new international survey by AccountAbility and Consumers International, sponsored by Lloyd's Register, shows consumers want independent verification of the climate change claims of businesses, tougher government action to phase out products that cause climate change and more information about the environmental impact of the products they buy.
A new international survey by AccountAbility and Consumers International, sponsored by Lloyd's Register, shows consumers want independent verification of the climate change claims of businesses, tougher government action to phase out products that cause climate change and more information about the environmental impact of the products they buy.
What Assures Consumers?, a UK/US survey to assess the attitudes of consumers towards businesses' climate change claims, released its interim findings ahead of the EU/G8 Energy Efficiency Conference in Berlin (20-21 April) and the final report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) into the Mitigation of Climate Change (30 April).
A key focus of What Assures Consumers? is how companies go about assuring the public on social and environmental issues via labels, media campaigns and celebrity endorsements.
The interim findings show that:
70% of consumers want climate change claims made by businesses to be proven by independent third parties (Combined 70.0%: UK 76.8%, US 63.0%).
Over half of consumers believe governments should be forcing businesses to phase out products that contribute to global warming (Combined 51.5%: UK 57.1%, US 45.7%).
Two thirds of consumers agree everyone needs to take more responsibility for their personal contribution to global warming. (Combined 65.7%: UK 69.7%, US 61.6%).
Two thirds of consumers believe corporations need to take global warming more seriously (Combined 66.4%: UK 69.5%, US 63.2%).
60% of consumers want companies to provide more information at the point of sale about the effects of their products on climate change (Combined 60.4%: UK 64.4%, US 56.3%).
Deborah Evans, Head of Corporate Reporting and Assurance at Lloyd's Register Quality Assurance (LRQA), says: "Consumers want to trust 'green claims' and independent verification gives them this confidence. Business will gain too because better, verified data allows them to improve their commercial strategies and develop products and services which deliver a positive environmental benefit."
Philip Monaghan, a Director at AccountAbility, says: "The message is clear - consumers can help to solve the problem but it's only fair governments and companies 'raise their game' too. Unhelpful choices need 'removing from the shelves' and business claims need to be 'backed up'. This is a mandate for politicians, industry and civil society to come together so it's easier for people to exercise choice."
Richard Lloyd, Consumers International Director General, speaking from the G8 conference says: "These findings clearly show that consumers want third-party proof of the climate change claims of businesses. Independently verified information about the climate change impact of products needs to be clearly available at the point of sale. Such measures are vital if we, as consumers, are to feel assured about reducing our personal contribution to global warming."
Podcasts from Deborah Evans (LRQA) and Philip Monaghan (AccountAbility) are available for download here, along with a summary presentation of the initial findings.
The independent survey was undertaken by GlobeScan on behalf of AccountAbility and Consumers International in March 2007 with a representative sample of 2,734 from the UK and US general public.
Further findings from What Assures Consumers? will be released in the coming months. This will include how consumer claims of trust/distrust translate into actual purchasing behaviour and what barriers need to be overcome for them to take action. The broader work focuses on three core areas: (a) roles and responsibilities; (b) communication pathways; and (c) information providers. The full findings will be published in June 2007.
Notes to Editors
What Assures Consumers? is research sponsored by Lloyd's Register being undertaken by AccountAbility in partnership with Consumers International. The research aims to better understand what assures the public in their decision-making on purchases - including customer services and ethics - to build practices that both empower consumers but also strengthen corporate performance.
LRQA is a leading business assurance company providing verification, certification and training services to a wide range of organisations around the world. LRQA helps clients use management systems to reduce their risks and improve their business. LRQA is a member of the Lloyd's Register Group.
The Lloyd's Register Group is an independent risk management organisation that works to help improve its clients' quality, safety, environmental and business performance throughout the world, because life matters. Its expertise and activities cover railways, shipping, oil and gas, and other asset-based industries.
BusinessAssurance.com is the world's first online management systems community. It enables the creation of better management systems through global collaboration and knowledge sharing, and offers an opportunity for users across the world to work together to build an online knowledge base for the industry.
AccountAbility is an international non-profit, membership organisation established in 1995 to promote accountability innovations that advance responsible business practices, and the broader accountability of civil society and public organisations. Our 200 members include businesses, NGOs and research bodies, and elect our international Council, which includes representatives from Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and North America such as Civicus, Microsoft, and PriceWaterhouseCoopers.
Consumers International is the global federation of consumer groups, working together to empower people around the world to exercise basic consumer rights and to help meet the common needs of consumers everywhere in a globalised world. Founded in 1960, CI is the only global federation of consumers' organisations, has a long-standing regional presence in Africa, Asia and Latin America, and represents over 220 groups in 115 countries.
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