Sustainability trends report 2022

The number of weather-related disasters to hit the world has increased five-fold over the past 50 years – “scientists say that climate change, more extreme weather and better reporting are behind the rise in these extreme events.”

The world is starting to wake up to the impact of climate change and, starting to call more earnestly for governments and industry to take action. Ahead of the UN climate change summit COP26, climate activists took to the streets in more than 1,400 locations around the globe. From pipeline protesters at New York’s City’s climate strike, to Insulate Britain activists blocking major roads in the UK, sustainability is firmly on the public agenda and now ever-present in our media. 

But beyond those motivated to go out and protest, what are the views and latest thoughts of average consumers – the ones that will choose what large-scale change happens, and how fast? We’ve been delving into consumer sentiment around environmental issues a lot lately, and we wanted to share our findings in one super sustainability-themed report. 

We explore how Americans’ attitudes to climate change have dramatically changed over the last couple of years and the impact activists like Greta Thunberg have actually made. We also deep-dive into the importance of sustainability in the UK finance sector, to understand the application and implications of climate change trends to a specific industry.

Meanwhile, we find out what retailers can do to help people shop green, what consumers think about carbon offsetting schemes, and how supermarkets can boost sales of vegan products. Finally, discover how The Vegan Society uses consumer insights to fuel its mission and make sure its business members never miss an opportunity.