Consumers want more action against eco-unfriendly products

Over half of us would like governments to force environmentally unfriendly products out of shops, according to new research into consumer behaviour.

AccountAbility and Consumers International surveyed 2,734 people in the UK and the US. The research, titled ‘What Assures Consumers?’ clearly indicates that consumers are very concerned with the role corporations play in climate change and also reveals a distrust of corporate environmental claims.

Two thirds of people questioned want companies to take global warming more seriously.

Sixty per cent of consumers want companies to provide more information, at the point of sale, about the effects of their products on climate change.

‘I think simple messages, clarification around which products help and which products don't help, can make a big difference,’ said Richard Lloyd, director general of Consumers International.

It’s not just enough to slap eco-credits on the side of a box - 70 per cent want any climate change claims made by businesses to be proven by independent third parties.

And the majority don’t want it all left down to the power of the consumer, and want tougher action from governments. Over 50 per cent think governments should be forcing businesses to phase out products that contribute to global warming.

‘Principally, it's a call for action for government and business to do more, to be more clear,’ said Philip Monaghan, of AccountAbility.