JUST GOOD BUSINESS BUZZ : How green are consumers?

How are New Zealand consumers thinking and behaving when it comes to sustainable issues in general? Is our behaviour in line with our global image as clean country?
The Colmar Brunton ‘Better Business, Better World’ report answers these and many other questions around the issue of sustainability.
Colmar Brunton is about to release results of its second research project into consumer views of sustainability this month – and will be looking for new trends in green attitudes.
Managing director of Colmar Brunton Jacqueline Ireland says the company decided to run the survey when staff recognised that there was an almost total lack of metrics related to New Zealanders’ attitudes toward sustainability in comparison to other countries.
“We could not source local information to assist our business to make better sustainability decisions, let alone inform our clients,” she says. “The research was developed to fill very real gap in information for New Zealand businesses. Last year saw our benchmark measure, and our 2010 study is due to be released for July reporting.”
She says there was no sponsorship for the first survey, but the company funded it anyway, because they believed it was such an important issue.
“There is little doubt that the buzz and public interest around the issue of sustainability is increasing rapidly, and so is the need for businesses to respond.
“Whether consumers fully understand all the complex issues surrounding our impact on society and the environment, ‘doing your bit’ for the future of the planet, and the quality of life of the next generation, is powerful motivator,” she says.
Over the next years, the survey aims to canvass and track the views and behaviours of 2500 New Zealanders each year. Experts predict that in the next few years, thinking and behaving sustainably will shift into the mainstream and become an accepted part of popular culture.