More than half of consumers in Brazil (58%) and China (58%) say that they believe the country in which they live is suffering from climate change, new data from Mintel has found.
The data, presented as part of Mintel’s forthcoming Global Outlook on Sustainability: A Consumer Study 2024-25, indicates that the percentage of consumers aware of the impact of a changing climate is increasing in most countries.
In Brazil, for example, the 2024 figure is up from 51% in 2021, while in China, the percentage has risen from 54% in 2021.
Impact of climate change
Other countries in which the percentage of consumers citing the impact of changing of the climate is on the increase include Spain (2024: 54%, 2021: 52%), Italy (2024: 53%, 2021: 47%), India (2024: 52%, 2021: 45%), France (2024: 46%, 2021: 37%), USA (2024: 43%, 2021: 42%) and Japan (2024: 42%, 2021: 41%).
In Germany (2024: 49%, 2021: 54%) and the UK (2024: 38%, 2021: 42%), however, the percentage of consumers that cite the impact of changing of the climate on their country has fallen over the past three years.
Top three concerns
‘Our study reveals that climate change, air quality and global warming are the top three sustainability concerns, illustrating that sustainable consumer attitudes are driven by health concerns and self-preservation,’ Mintel said.
‘Recent global events pushed water and food shortages up people’s agendas since 2021, overtaking concerns for plastic pollution and deforestation. This shift can be traced back to first-hand experiences of climate warming, such as record-breaking temperatures and droughts, which have heightened consumer awareness of water stresses. Disruptions to global food supply chains, resulting in higher prices, have drawn consumers’ focus towards factors that help protect their physical and financial health.’
Mintel’s study examines consumer sustainability perspectives, purchasing trends, behaviors, and engagement across ten major economies: the USA, UK, Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, India, China, Japan, and Spain. It also features insights from over 75 products and marketing strategies selected by Mintel consultant and Global Outlook on Sustainability author Richard Cope, and seeks to identify effective tactics for making responsible products resonate with consumers.
The study is set to be released on 3 September, and more information can be found here.
Read more: Six in ten Gen Zs and millennials ‘worried’ about climate change in the past month
