Consumers: Too much sustainability info

People are getting a lot of information lately about how to live sustainably. The problem is, it might be too much information.

A recent online survey by IBM on YouGov found that 47 per cent of 2,000 British adults questioned found there was lots of information available about sustainable living but believed much of it was conflicting. Only 12 per cent of those surveyed said they believed that advice and information is consistent and 7 per cent said they not know what a sustainable lifestyle was.

The research comes at the beginning of the nine-day IBM summit as part of Start, an initiative established by HRH The Prince of Wales to promote and celebrate sustainable living.

The IBM survey also found that the business community has room to improve, as 50 per cent of the public rate the way organisations convey their sustainability policies as “bad” or “very bad.” Only 5 per cent said they believed companies communicated how they were contributing to sustainable living “well” or “very well.”

“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 for IBM. “Hundreds of business representatives will come together at the IBM summit to discuss what they can do for sustainability and in turn what it can do for the economy. Clear, concise information is key and a starting point is to ensure that it is communicated effectively, helping both consumers and businesses understand how they can make a difference.’