The public wants more commitment and help from businesses in adopting sustainable living habits in the face of global heating and climate change, according to a report from Accenture.

Irish consumers have made significant strides in adopting more sustainable habits, but they are finding it difficult and are calling on businesses to do more to help, say the results of an online survey in March 2022 of 1,000 adults conducted by Qualtrics.

In an effort to live more sustainably, 40% of Irish people have reduced the number of new items they purchase, and the same proportion have reduced their use of single use plastic.

One in eight have chosen to eat more locally sourced products.

Irish consumers are also increasingly looking to make purchases from sustainable brands, with 70% more likely to purchase from a brand if it marketed itself as eco-friendly.

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On the flip side, 40% have actively stopped purchasing from a brand that wasn’t living up to their expectations around sustainability, respondents told researchers.  

Three out of four survey respondents said it is hard to live sustainably, and one in four stated that sustainable products are less effective than their non-sustainable counterparts.

The overwhelming majority, at 92%, want businesses to help them be more eco-friendly, but customers also have a real concern that businesses are ‘greenwashing’, with two-thirds questioning if the sustainability information that brands provide is legitimate or correct. 

Of the survey panel, half expect business organisations to make a conscious effort to reduce waste, 28% expect them to reduce their carbon footprint, and 20% expect them to commit to ethical work practices. 

Accenture managing director Karen O’Regan (pictured) commented: “What we are seeing in our research is a clear conflict when it comes to living sustainably and what businesses are doing to help facilitate this. There are a lot of positives from Irish consumers, who are making changes and want to get it right.  

“However, there is a tension emerging between companies and their customers with a lot of confusion and scepticism around firms’ green credentials. As businesses return to operating at pre-pandemic norms there will undoubtedly be a renewed and sharper emphasis on organisational sustainability objectives and deliverables.

“Ultimately, the general public is demanding businesses do more to help them be eco-friendly and those that do will enjoy the benefits.” 

Another barrier is access to reliable information. Almost two-thirds of survey respondents agreed that they don’t have enough information on how to help the environment. When accessing the information that is currently available, only 14% of respondents place a ‘high degree of trust’ in what they find. 

Other factors holding people back include: 

• It’s too much hassle (16%)  
• Not knowing how to make a difference (10%)  
• Too difficult (9%)  
• Too much of a lifestyle change (9%)