What Assures Consumers in Australia on Climate Change?

As climate change has become a mainstream issue in recent times, the question many businesses are asking themselves is what are the motivating factors behind the public's purchasing decision? And how can they position themselves in the market to give that much needed competitive edge?

In August 2008, Net Balance Foundation and AccountAbility released their recently completed research, "What Assures Consumers in Australia on Climate Change?" in an attempt to answer these questions.

The first phase of the research, undertaken in 2006, focused on understanding consumer behaviour and how 'to build practices that both empower consumers but also strengthen corporate performance.'

The findings of the report included some key points, such as but not limited to:

• Australians are committed to tackling climate change and that consumer action could be a crucial asset in Australia's efforts to tackle climate change.
• That most Australian consumers demand a stronger role in delivering on climate action.
• In Australia, climate change is an important consumer issue – even more so than in other countries – and Australians are well informed about how to tackle climate change.
• Despite this concern and action, there remains a big gap between what people say and what they will do. In that, consumers reported practical and financial obstacles to making lower-carbon choices.
• And, Australians are giving a strong call for business, government and citizens to work together on climate change.

To read the full report visit the Net Balance Foundation website.