Environmental Leader

More than half of global consumers (53 percent/representing 1.1 billion people) prefer to purchase products and services from a company with a strong environmental reputation, according to a new global survey released by video-conferencing company Tandberg.

Not only is a company’s environmental reputation a clear preference for its customers, but also for its employees, according to the survey. In fact, eight in ten workers surveyed globally said they would prefer to work for an environmentally ethical organization.

“The findings clearly suggest a relationship between a company’s environmental reputation and its brand value,” said Tandberg CEO, Fredrik Halvorsen. “In addition to the ethical reasons for ‘?going green’, there is a tremendous incentive for companies across the globe to focus efforts on environmental responsibility to attract customers, recruit and retain strong talent, and positively affect their external brand perception.”

While a majority of consumers globally prefer purchasing from companies with a strong environmental reputation, the figure was particularly high in China, with 67 percent of consumers concurring. Australia came in second with 52 percent, and Sweden came in third with 46 percent.

However, these numbers dropped considerably in other areas of Europe, with Germany, Great Britain and France at 28 percent, 27 percent and 23 percent, respectively. The United States and Canada remained in the middle of the pack with 42 percent and 34 percent, respectively.

According to the survey, 12 percent (representing almost a quarter of a billion people in the 15 markets) are calling on corporations to take the lead when it comes to limiting the effects of climate change. This figure was highest in Germany, Italy and the United States (all 20 percent).

When asked what would be most likely to encourage their employers to become more environmentally responsible than they are today, government policies, subsidies and incentives came in first at 31 percent -? narrowly beating the availability of environmentally friendly technologies at 27 percent. The ability to leverage a positive “green” reputation for competitive advantage ranked third at 10 percent.

Globally, workers believe that the most effective environmental initiatives for their own workplace are recycling programs (65 percent) -? beating out water/waste/emissions reduction (60 percent) and the use of eco-friendly business materials (60 percent).