2Sustain

A survey conducted a few months ago by the Boston-based company Cone adds to the growing body of evidence showing that consumers continue to buy environmentally responsible products, despite the downturn in the economy.

Here are a few highlights of the 2009 Cone Consumer Environmental Survey, which polled 1,087 adult Americans on January 29-30:

• 35% of respondents said they have more interest in the environment than they did one year ago.

• 44% said their environmental shopping habits have not changed as a result of the economy, and only 8% said they are less likely to buy “green” today.

The survey results suggest that this consumer commitment mirrors both heightened consumer awareness and increased expectations:

• Over one-third (35%) of survey respondents said they have higher expectations for companies to make and sell environmentally responsible products and services.

• A full 70% of those polled indicated that they are paying attention to what companies are doing with regard to the environment today, even if they cannot buy until the future.

• An even greater majority (85%) believe companies should communicate their environmental commitments year-round (not just on Earth Day).

“The fact that consumers continue to be interested in the environment and mindful of corporate efforts, even in the midst of a grueling recession, is evidence that this is more than just a passing trend,” says Jonathan Yohannan, senior vice president of corporate responsibility at Cone. “Environmental responsibility is not just an expectation in times of prosperity.”

More results of the Cone survey are available at www.coneinc.com/news/request.php?id=2030 (registration required).

Check out my earlier posts for additional information regarding consumer preference for green products.

There’s also an article published last Friday at GreenBiz.com that details green product trends over the past few years. According to the article, researchers expect that some 1,570 new green products will be launched this year –that's triple the amount launched in 2008, which saw double the amount launched in 2007. Trend data like this illustrates that both consumers and companies are becoming increasingly aware of the many benefits of sustainable products.