A growing number of global consumers believe time is running out to save the planet—but brands can help turn the tide

A growing number of consumers are losing faith in our ability to save the planet, according to new global research from Mintel. The flagship Global Outlook on Sustainability report* reveals a crisis in eco-confidence as the number of consumers globally who agree, ‘If we act now, we still have time to save the planet’, has declined seven percentage points from a majority of 55% in 2021 to a minority of 48% in 2024. The UK (where this sentiment has slipped from 54% to 44%) and Germany (down from 49% to 36%) have seen sharp decreases in such confidence. Germany has the lowest belief that there is still time to save the planet of any countries surveyed*.

People are also becoming less convinced that they personally can make a difference in the planet’s future, with a fall in the number of consumers globally who believe their actions can make a positive difference to the environment, slipping from 51% in 2021 to 47% in 2024. 

Playing their part to help focus the world’s attention on the environment, eco-activists are increasingly welcomed as educators in many parts of the world. While sometimes considered controversial, 42% of consumers globally agree that eco-activists have raised their awareness of environmental issues, up from 39% in 2023. The increasing role of activists has been particularly noticeable in the UK (from 30% to 37% over the same period) and the US (from 36% to 43%, respectively), rising by as many as seven percentage points between 2023-4.   

Richard Cope, Senior Trends Consultant, Mintel Consulting, said: 

“Whilst experiencing climate change and its existential and public health threats can awaken and engage consumers, a growing realisation of the scale of the increasingly pressing challenges can also erode optimism and create a sense of feeling overwhelmed. This is exactly what we’ve seen play out during the course of this extensive, multi-year study, with the belief that ‘we still have time to save the planet’ ebbing away.

“Increasing exposure to extreme events, media coverage of successive COP events and eco-activists all play a role in lessening the belief that we can save the planet. While activism, legal challenges and legislation serve to educate consumers on their rights and sharpen their awareness of what brands should be doing and what constitutes greenwashing, for some, increasing education is contributing to despondency. 

“Brands should play a role in reassuring and educating people, but the challenge is that people are sceptical about brands’ green credentials. Over a third (35%) of consumers globally don’t trust companies to be honest about their environmental impact. Although this figure has been fairly static since 2021, it is not improving and poses a major challenge to brands, especially in Europe, where nearly half of consumers voice distrust.   

So, what can brands do to build trust among consumers?

“Brands can utilise clear communication and metrics to encourage consumers to make more sustainable choices. The top consumer choice for the type of on-pack sustainability claim or label that would significantly impact their purchasing decision is a Nutriscore-style, simple rating scale (selected by 30%* of global consumers) that shows the environmental impact (e.g. a 1-5 scale or red/yellow/green colour coding) of a product. For consumers, a single label could ultimately liberate them from a dizzying, distracting and confusing array of competing organic, fair trade and other claims. 

“The second most popular on-pack sustainability claim or label people are looking for is information on the product’s impact on people (e.g. number of farmers lifted out of poverty) chosen by 27% of global consumers. Our research shows this signals a need for the climate crisis—and its solutions—to be humanised. 

“As climate change has developed into a public health crisis of killer heatwaves and pollution, personal health should be positioned and prioritised as a benefit of sustainable products, wherever possible. For brands’ sustainability campaigns to be more effective, they need to focus on showing the benefits to consumers in terms of efficiency, frugality and wellbeing on an individual level, ahead of their benefits to the overall environment.”

ENDS

*Tracks the environmental and social priorities, purchasing behaviours, engagement and level of understanding of sustainability topics among 10,000 consumers from 10 countries: the USA, Brazil, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, China, India and Japan.