PRESS RELEASE November 5, 2009

More consumers optimistic for climate-conscious companies

Some 69 per cent of Swedes prefer to buy their goods and services from companies that are actively working to limit climate change, which is an increase of seven percentage points on last year’s result. Meanwhile the proportion of people who are prepared to pay an extra five per cent for such goods and services has increased from 76 to 81 per cent. These are the results of an opinion poll commissioned by the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency.

“It’s interesting that so many people are prepared to pay more to limit climate change, despite the fact that we’re in the midst of an economic slump,” says Maria Ågren, Director General of the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency.

Willingness to pay extra is greatest among women, where 86 per cent responded “Yes, definitely” (36 per cent) or “Yes, probably” (50 per cent) when asked whether they would be prepared to pay an extra five per cent to buy goods and services from companies that they know are working to limit climate change. The figure for men was 78 per cent, of which 31 per cent responded “Yes, definitely” and 47 per cent “Yes, probably”. Willingness to pay extra is lowest among men over the age of 65, and highest among women between the ages of 50 and 64.

“Swedes are prepared to support those companies that are taking the lead in terms of climate work,” says Maria Ågren.

Seven out of ten Swedes believe that companies are bad at advertising what they are doing to limit emissions of greenhouse gases, and nine out of ten think it would be good if there was some sort of ecolabel to indicate which goods and services have been produced with low emissions of greenhouse gases.

The survey in figures

• 69 per cent “definitely” or “probably” prefer to buy goods from companies that they know are working to limit climate change.

• 81 per cent can “definitely” or “probably” imagine paying more for an article or service if they know that the company that produces it makes efforts to limit climate change.

• 81 per cent believe that it will become “increasingly important” for companies to get involved in reducing emissions.

• 49 per cent think that the costs to companies of emitting greenhouse gases will increase.

• 68 per cent think that companies are bad at advertising what they are doing to limit emissions of greenhouse gases.

• 92 per cent think that it would be useful to have ecolabelling of goods and services with low greenhouse gas emissions.

The survey included 1,000 telephone interviews and was conducted by ARS Research AB on 14-17 September 2009.

For further information, please contact:
Lars Westermark, Director of the Climate Policy Unit, +46 (0)8 6981199, lars.westermark(a)naturvardsverket.se
Anneli Nivrén, Press officer, +46 (0)8-6981312, +46 (0)70 2063727, anneli.nivren(a)naturvardsverket.se