Very large majority of Europeans are concerned by environmental footprint of products they purchase

Thursday, 30 July 2009 07:04

According to the results of a recent Eurobarometer survey on "Europeans' attitude towards the issue of sustainable consumption and production", for 83% of the citizens of the EU, the environmental impact of products is a parameter which influences their purchasing decisions.

72% of them called for the obligatory labelling of the carbon footprint of products. Two pieces of good news for the environment, just as the debate on everybody's contribution to fighting climate change is stepping up.  

"The battle against climate change must be fought on all fronts and everyone must contribute. It is not only the remit of companies and governments; consumers also have their part to play. By purchasing environmentally and climate-friendly products, individual customers send the right signal to producers, who respond in turn by producing more eco-friendly products", said Stavros Dimas, European Commissioner for the Environment.

Czechs least likely

Although 83% of respondents stated that the impact of products on the environment is an important factor in their purchasing decisions, 92% of the Greeks state that they take this parameter into account when making purchases and the Czechs (62%) are the least likely to consider it.

The opinion of the Europeans is much more evenly split when it comes to taking position on the importance they accord to producers' claims on the environmental performance of their products. Around half of respondents (49%) say that they believe these claims, whilst the other half (48%) stated that they mistrust them. The Dutch are the most likely to believe these claims (78%) and the Bulgarians of the most sceptical (only 26% pay any credence to performance claims).

The results of the survey can be consulted online at the following address:   http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/index_fr.htm#top       

(Source: Agence Europe)