US consumers are ‘holding their ground’ when it comes to sustainability, despite changing corporate attitudes to the subject, a new study by Vanderbilt University and research firm Switch 5 has found.
According to the Vanderbilt Consumer Sustainability Index (VCSI), more than four fifths (83%) of US consumers score above the midpoint on the index measuring attitudes towards environmental issues.
The VCSI is a new quarterly measure developed to track how Americans’ attitudes to sustainability change over time. Rather than focusing on climate policy or political persuasions, it examines sustainability from a consumer perspective – ‘what they believe, what they expect from businesses and other institutions, and what they say they are willing to do themselves”, the university noted.
The inaugural VCSI, for July 2026, recorded a score of 69.2 out of 100, indicating a moderate-to-strong sustainability orientation among US consumers. Some 2,528 American adults were surveyed as part of the research.
Consumer preference
“Sustainability is often discussed through the lens of politics or corporate commitments, but consumer preferences are a critical part of the picture,” commented Eric VanEpps, associate professor of marketing at Vanderbilt and co-author of the study. “We created the VCSI to establish a consistent measure of what Americans believe and expect when it comes to sustainability, and to track how those attitudes change over time.”
Other findings from the study include that some 87% of Americans want companies to help them become more environmentally friendly, while 85% said that corporations should bear responsibility for addressing climate change. A similar percentage (84%) called for federal government action to address climate change.
Elsewhere, more than four in five (81%) Americans believe that climate change will harm future generations – with close to half (47%) believing it will do a ‘great deal’ of harm. Some 74% of respondents said that they would be willing to pay a ‘little bit more’ for products that are better for the environment.
General sentiment
“People might read media coverage about how both public and private investments in sustainability initiatives have been reduced, and how large corporations have pulled back from the climate goals they set a few years ago,” VanEpps added.
“But the American public still cares about the environment, and these initial results create a baseline from which we can now measure trends in general sentiment.”
The next VCSI survey is expected to take place in October 2026, with results due to be released later in the autumn. Read more here.
