Understanding consumers’ attitudes to sustainability

Understanding consumers’ attitudes to sustainability and how these are driving changing consumer behaviour is important. Consumer spending accounts for over a quarter of all UK emissions. In fact, it is the single largest contributor to total UK greenhouse gas emissions.

This is the fifth year Deloitte has conducted a survey into consumer attitudes to sustainability and sustainable behaviours. Our latest research illustrates the opportunity for businesses to facilitate a change in consumer behaviours toward a tipping point at which sustainable options become the preferred choice.

Overall, to improve the chances of the UK meeting its sustainability objectives, there is a need for a greater acceptance by both businesses and consumers of the required systemic change to production and consumption.

Government support to set policy which drives change and helps address cost constraints will be critical in influencing business and consumer change too.

This year three key trends emerged:

•  For many, adopting a more sustainable lifestyle is about being thriftier. Our latest research shows a rise in the proportion of people using the second-hand market and repair services in the past year.
• The data also highlights the ongoing challenges the UK is facing in meeting its sustainability objectives. Adoption of sustainable actions has plateaued - there is a growing number of consumers stating that engaging in sustainable actions is too expensive and increasing scepticism, with more people believing adopting a more sustainable lifestyle makes no difference.
• These findings are sending a clear message to government and industry of the need to drive systemic change to make sustainable actions more accessible and affordable.

The report explores:

What consumers do

Compared with 2023, on balance fewer consumers have been adopting a more sustainable lifestyle. However, a significant number of consumers continue with the top sustainable behaviours observed last year.

When asked about the actions they have taken in the past 12 months to pursue a more sustainable lifestyle, the majority of consumers reported recycling household waste (73%), reducing food waste (68%), limiting the use of single use plastics (61%) and reducing the number of new products they buy (58%). Similar proportions of consumers also claimed to have bought more locally produced goods (51%) and more seasonal produce (56%). Another 56% had fixed or repaired a product rather than replacing it.

What consumers care about

There has been little change in the past year in the sustainable and ethical practices that consumers value most, though more emphasis is now being placed on reducing carbon emissions than in 2023. This year, consumers most valued sustainable or ethical practices are:

1. Producing sustainable packaging and products
2. Reducing waste in manufacturing processes
3. Committing to ethical working practices
4. Respect for human rights
5. Reducing carbon footprint (from 6th position in 2023)

What consumers need

Affordability remains the number one barrier to the adoption of a more sustainable lifestyle, however, this year a higher proportion of consumers are also more sceptical that sustainable choices make a difference.

The main reasons for not adopting a more sustainable lifestyle remain unchanged this year and relate to cost (61%), a lack of interest in sustainability (61%), and not having enough information (50%). There is also growing scepticism and fatigue with a higher proportion of consumers, for the second consecutive year, either reporting that adopting a more sustainable lifestyle makes no difference, or that it is too difficult or time-consuming.