Europeans Greener Than Americans

October 29, 2007

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Europeans are 50 percent more likely than Americans to buy “green” products -? from solar panels to hybrid cars to natural/organic foods, personal care and home products, according to the European LOHAS study based on a partnership between Porter Novelli and Natural Marketing Institute.

Survey results also found that Europeans are 25 percent more likely to recycle and more than 30 percent likely to influence their friends and family about the environment than Americans.

The study segments the total adult population by country according to consumers’ attitudes, behaviors and product/service usage patterns across several areas including sustainability, corporate social responsibility, environmentalism, social issues and the use of eco-friendly products and services.

While Europeans are eagerly adopting new behaviors as it relates to green consumerism, they report being more price sensitive than their American counterparts. For instance, Europeans are approximately 25 percent less likely than U.S. shoppers to say they will pay 20 percent more for eco-friendly products. However, this is in apparent contradiction with actual purchases, as Europeans are more likely to have purchased products like organic foods, renewable power and hybrid cars. Differences in tax structures, subsidies, and the longevity of the availability of LOHAS products likely drive these differences, according to the study.

Europeans are approximately 32 percent more likely than Americans to be motivated to buy products with seals or certifications indicating the product is environmentally-friendly, underscoring the critical roles that authenticity and transparency play.

EU consumers are also approximately 25 percent more likely than U.S. consumers to say that, aside from making money for shareholders, it is most important for companies to be sensitive to their environmental impact.

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