Poll: Businesses failing with sustainability messaging

Businesses and government are failing to provide consumers with clear and consistent advice on how to embrace more sustainable lifestyles, according to a major YouGov poll of over 2,200 British adults.

The survey, which was commissioned by IT giant IBM and released today to coincide with the launch of the Prince of Wales' high-profile Start sustainability initiative, confirms long-held fears that conflicting messages surrounding sustainability best practices are confusing consumers.

Only 12 per cent of respondents felt there was consistent information available on how to develop and maintain a sustainable lifestyle, while almost half said there was a lot of information, but much of it appeared to be conflicting.

Moreover, a fifth felt there was not much information on sustainable living available and seven per cent said they did not understand what was meant by the term "sustainable lifestyle".

Similarly, 49 per cent of respondents said that businesses reported their sustainable living policies either badly or very badly, with only five per cent praising the business community's sustainability communication.

"It's clear that most people understand what sustainable living is in principle, but the amount of conflicting information is making it difficult to implement practical lifestyle changes," said Colin Shearer, worldwide industry solutions leader at IBM, which will next week host a major summit as part of the Start campaign designed to promote sustainable business best practices.

Echoing the findings of previous surveys on consumer behaviour, the poll found that the majority of people are embracing modest green improvements.

For example, eight out of 10 respondents said they used energy-saving lightbulbs, while 72 per cent said they voluntarily recycled and 57 per cent said they conserve water where possible.

The Start campaign kicked off this week with the Prince of Wales embarking on a four-day tour of Britain in the royal train designed to promote sustainable living.

The Prince said the tour would feature a series of events designed to "extol the virtues of a sustainability revolution" and focus on the benefits associated with greener lifestyles.

"What I hope to get across to as many people as possible is that, however awful the predicament we face with climate change and the unsustainable use of resources that keep us all alive, we aren't going to get anywhere by telling everyone they need to stop doing things," he said at the start of the tour. " There has been quite enough of that in recent years."