US Consumers Not So Hot On Sustainable Behavior... Hey, At Least We Are Talking About It

National and Global Issues (From the Report, "Greendex 2012: Consumer Choice and the Environment - A Worldwide Tracking Survey") Full Report 

Top of Mind Issues:

• Economic problems continue to be the top-of-mind concern for consumers in most countries, 

especially in the USA, Hungary, Britain, and France. Compared to 2010, consumers in more 

countries now cite economic issues as their top national problem.

• Political problems, including greed and corruption, are mentioned most among consumers in 

the emerging economies of Brazil, Russia, India, and China. 

• The environment remains low on the list of unprompted concerns, and Chinese, Indian, and 

Russian consumers are now less likely to cite this as a top national issue than in 2010. Still, 

Chinese and Canadian consumers are the most likely to report that the environment is a 

nationwide problem.

• When prompted about global issues, consumers in emerging economies tend to be 

concerned about environmental problems such as climate change, water pollution, air 

pollution, shortages of fresh water, and loss of species and habitat; concern about these 

environmental issues, however, has generally decreased since 2010. In contrast, consumers 

in industrialized countries tend to be less concerned about the environment and more 

concerned about the economy and the cost of energy and fuel. Concern about the economy 

has increased since 2010 among consumers in France especially. 

• Food safety and the cost of food tend to be greater concerns for consumers  in emerging 

markets, especially among the Chinese.