Consumers mark their highest awareness ever of the planet’s biodiversity and expect companies to do more to protect it, says new report launched today.
The vast majority of 6,000 consumers surveyed in the report, called the “Biodiversity Barometer” commissioned by the international non-profit Union for Ethical BioTrade (UEBT) asking consumers their level of concern about biodiversity loss and what they expect from companies, agree that ‘companies have a moral obligation to ensure that they have a positive impact on people and biodiversity.’ 86% of consumers surveyed said they think companies have a moral obligation to assure they have a positive impact on biodiversity. However, they remain less assured that companies are genuinely focusing on biodiversity-friendly sourcing practices. Only 54% said they feel that companies pay serious attention to protecting biodiversity.
These sentiments become clear in the report’s findings that biodiversity has gained its highest importance in the minds of consumers since this research began in 2009. At that time, the research was focused on whether people knew what biodiversity means and could define the word. Biodiversity is now very well understood, and biodiversity loss is recognized by the public as an urgent global issue, ranking as the second most urgent global environmental concern following climate change. Today and rising since the last edition of this same research in 2022, consumer awareness of biodiversity sits at 9 out of 10 consumers understanding what it means with scores progressing in France, UK, and in the US, and remaining stable in Brazil and China, where it was already very high. Consumers can identify the correct definition of ‘biodiversity’ with great certainty, and across all age groups and income levels.
This year’s edition of the research focused on two aspects of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF). When consumers surveyed were given basic information on it and its goals, 83% said they would like companies to contribute to this global agreement for biodiversity. And 82% of consumers said they would like companies to inform them about the concrete actions they as consumers can take to reduce consumption or waste, and to make more sustainable choices. This latter point is a key part of Target 16 of the KMGBF which states that we must ‘ensure that people are encouraged and enabled to make sustainable consumption choices.’
This year’s edition also showed that consumers firmly believe that individuals have a direct relationship with biodiversity impacting not only their own well-being but also that of future generations. Consequently, they see it as their obligation to protect and regenerate nature and biodiversity. 90% of those surveyed stated that they feel it is the obligation of humans to protect nature, and 89% said it is a human obligation to also regenerate it.
Consumers are increasingly less assured that companies are genuinely committed to protecting biodiversity. Across the different countries a mixed picture of consumer confidence shows when it comes to businesses protecting biodiversity: While some countries show small rises in consumer confidence, overall the level of trust in companies is very low. Fewer than one out of four consumers surveyed were able to completely agree that companies pay serious attention to biodiversity.
However, consumers are increasingly convinced that their own purchases of biodiversity-conscious products and brands can have a positive impact on people and biodiversity. 82% agreed that they can have a positive impact on society by buying products from companies that respect biodiversity and people. Consumers also want to be informed, either through the packaging or product website on the impact the product has on biodiversity. Impact on biodiversity is the second most important information consumers expect on a product, behind the list of ingredients and before the origin of the ingredients.
Finally, while overall awareness has reached its highest level to date, awareness of biodiversity is higher among men, consumers aged 25-44 and those with higher incomes. However, the level of awareness is rising quickly among women and those from 25-34 years old.
“For several years at UEBT we have been tracking rising awareness of biodiversity, but today we see something new: awareness has soared, and with this, expectations have hit new heights. However, we also see that the lack of action and transparency from companies must be unlocked. Consumers feel strongly and personally connected to biodiversity, and they wish to see it protected and built back up. They expect companies to take clear steps to do this, but as of now they do not see proof of this,” said Rik Kutsch Lojenga, Executive Director of UEBT.
“We are pleased to see the highest level of awareness ever of biodiversity among consumers, with people all over the world increasingly able to identify what it means and feeling strongly our human obligation to care for it. We are also glad to see that when consumers are given information about the Global Biodiversity Framework and its whole of society approach, they state that they would like to see the private sector contribute to its implementation. Furthermore, consumers want to make sustainable choices, to reduce consumption or waste, but they expect the private sector to help them in this regard. This shows there is a clear opportunity for biodiversity-conscious businesses to take action that can not only contribute to biodiversity conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity but can also support them to have thriving and resilient businesses,” said Astrid Schomaker, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
