A new report by Ipsos has suggested that while consumers still care about climate change, other priorities such as rising costs and economic uncertainty are changing how they engage with it.
The Ipsos Sustainability Reality Check, which was based on the research firm’s Market Essentials Sustainability Report 2026, explored consumer attitudes towards sustainability across 15 markets, and what this means for brands and businesses.
‘After another summer marked by extreme heat, wildfires and drought across many parts of the world, sustainability is no longer a distant concern for many consumers,’ Ipsos noted.
‘Yet Ipsos research suggests a more nuanced picture is emerging. While concern about climate change remains high, people’s ability to prioritise sustainability is increasingly shaped by the pressures of everyday life.’
Reshaping the sustainability landscape
In its report, Ipsos identifies five trends that are ‘reshaping the sustainability landscape’, the first of which involves how consumers view the ‘urgency’ of the climate problem.
It noted that there has been an increase in the proportion of people who believe action on environmental issues is needed now, following a previous period of decline. At the same time, however, many consumers continue to view climate change primarily as a global rather than personal problem – i.e. a challenge for businesses and policymakers.
Elsewhere, cost of living concerns are changing what sustainable behaviour looks like, with consumers becoming ‘more selective’ about the actions that they take. Behaviours that can save consumers money, such as reducing energy use or cutting waste, resonate strongly, the report showed.
Ipsos’ research also found that consumers increasingly expect businesses and governments to take responsibility for addressing environmental and social challenges – with transparency and credibility increasingly important – while health is also emerging as a powerful sustainability driver, with a growing connection between sustainability and personal wellbeing.
Elsewhere, trust is becoming ‘increasingly central to sustainability success’, Ipsos noted, with many consumers still finding it difficult to determine which products and services are genuinely sustainable.
The business challenge
According to Ipsos, these indicators point to a ‘new phase’ for the sustainability conversation, with success depending less on asking consumers to make sustainable choices, and more on helping them to address issues they already care about, such as affordability, health, resilience, convenience and security.
‘The organisations best positioned for the future will be those that make sustainable choices easier, more accessible and more relevant to people’s daily lives,’ Ipsos noted. Read more here.
