Who is setting the pace for personal sustainability?

From Deloitte’s new Sustainable Actions Index comes a portrait of people bringing sustainability into the mainstream.

Deloitte conducted a global survey of 23,000 people in 23 countries on their attitudes, behaviors, and choices related to environmental sustainability in September 2021. Responses were concentrated in North America, Europe, and East and South Asia. The researchers assessed three main spheres of how sustainability factored into respondents’ lives: home (personal choices), workplace concerns, and citizen actions. Respondents were divided into three groups based on their Sustainable Actions index score:  behavioral bystanders (low), the movable middle (medium), and sustainability standard-setters (high), respectively.

Their analysis focused on the latter group, sustainability standard-setters, as “[r]esearch on social movements and change suggests that a relatively small number of dedicated individuals can catalyze much wider and more rapid shifts in the broader environment.”  

The researchers found that across geographies, “a “typical” sustainability standard-setter, among respondents participating in the survey, identifies as female; is 25-44 years old; is a high-income earner; has felt worried or anxious about climate change recently; has at least one child at home; and experienced at least one climate event over the last six months.” See Figure 2 below. Furthermore, there were “five noteworthy demographic and attitudinal factors that especially correlated to people’s sustainability behaviors, namely: belief in climate change; direct experience of climate events; level of optimism about the prospects of global climate action; the presence of children at home; and age.” Finally, the Sustainable Actions Index “offers considerations for leaders across domains who seek to encourage sustainable behaviors. These include: prepare for change; nurture a narrative of change; and encourage change.”

To read the full report, go to: https://www2.deloitte.com/global/en/insights/topics/strategy/sustainable-action-climate-change.html?id=us:2el:3dp:cirsusind:awa:cp:040422:bi&utm_content=Insider_Sustainability&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Insider%20Sustainability%20(send%2043)%20-%2004%2F21%2F2022&utm_term=INSIDER%20SUSTAINABILITY%20SEND%20LIST