49% of consumers in the Asia Pacific region now believe that their country is experiencing the impact of climate change, with Indonesians considering themselves the most affected (60%).

Ecological activism has resonated more among consumers in the region, with 58% indicating that ecological activism has increased their awareness of environmental issues, compared to the global average of 46%.

Plastic pollution has fallen among the top three environmental issues of global consumer concern.

According to the latest research in the annual report on sustainable development trends by Yingminte, "The Future of Global Sustainable Development in 2023: Consumer Studies," water scarcity is the fastest-growing environmental issue for global consumers.

On a global scale, the number of consumers who list water scarcity as one of the top three environmental issues has increased from 31% in 2022 to 35% in 2023, an increase of 13%, which is faster than the attention to any other environmental issue last year. In 2021, less than three tenths (27%) of consumers worldwide were concerned about water shortages.

The escalating concerns have led to water shortages squeezing plastic pollution out of the top three environmental issues, with concerns about plastic pollution (such as marine plastics) decreasing from 36% in 2021 to 32% in 2023.

Despite escalating concerns about water scarcity, climate change remains the most concerning environmental issue globally. Thailand remained on par with the global average at 47% in 2023, while India had the highest growth rate, soaring from 31% in 2021 to 44% in 2023.

More than half of global consumers (51%) now believe that their countries are facing the impact of climate change, an increase from 44% in 2021. Indonesians believe they have been the most affected (60%), while Japan has dropped from 44% in 2022 to 40% in 2023.

Richard Cope, Senior Trend Advisor at Yingminte, stated: Consumers are increasingly prioritizing water scarcity as one of the three major environmental issues, reflecting the fact that water pressure has become a global reality. Water scarcity has risen from fifth to third on the global list of environmental issues that consumers prioritize, indicating that people are directly exposed to the impact of climate change rather than becoming more aware of it. This marks a new era where environmental issues have become an urgent need for self-protection Problems such as water and food shortages, as well as the desire to protect resources for future resilience. Although plastic pollution remains a prominent issue, it is slipping away from important consumer concerns as they increasingly focus on their personal supply shortages and are educated to recognize that other issues may generate more emissions. “

Ecological activism resonates with consumers in the region

Yingminte also explored the impact of ecological activism, with 46% of global consumers acknowledging that ecological activists have raised their environmental awareness. The impact of climate activism on consciousness varies greatly in different regions, with Indonesia (80%), Thailand (74%), and India (69%) reported to have the greatest impact. Although many consumers are paying attention to activists, nearly half (48%) of Australians believe that ecological activists who cause chaos, such as stopping traffic, should be punished by the government.

It is obvious that ecological activists are having an impact, even being seen as legitimate protesters in many markets. In fact, our research shows that in many markets, especially in the Asia Pacific and Latin American markets, ecological activists are welcomed as educators. Activists are also becoming important in holding brands accountable for environmental protection. As activists educate the world about energy, procurement, and distribution emissions, consumers will become more and more interested More and more people are taking a more informed, thoughtful, and comprehensive view of these impacts Cope continued.

Consumers do not believe that carbon offsetting is a solution

Meanwhile, there is a disconnect between the environmental goals of consumers and companies. Nearly two-thirds (65%) of consumers in the Asia Pacific region prefer companies to reduce their carbon emissions rather than relying on carbon offsetting projects outside of their business areas. In addition, in Australia and South Korea, a considerable number of consumers (41% and 37% respectively) do not trust the honesty of companies in their environmental impact.

When asked what would encourage them to consider purchasing more responsible products, 41% of global consumers indicated that they would look for a score on the environmental impact of the product (such as color coding, 1-5 points), highlighting the convenience of Nutriscore style color coding in label systems.

Our research indicates that globally, consumers do not want brands to participate in carbon offsetting activities. Projects to prevent deforestation form the foundation of most carbon credit projects, which companies use to claim the carbon neutrality of their businesses or products. However, after media coverage surrounding the challenges of verifying these plans, it is understandable for the public to challenge companies to participate more and invest in directly reducing their emissions.

Cope explained, "Based on the success of the nutrition traffic light system in the food industry, consumers hope that brands can use similar systems so that they can easily understand the environmental impact of the products they are considering purchasing and help them make more sustainable choices.".

Consumers hope the government provides more incentive measures

Four out of every ten consumers in the Asia Pacific region (44%) agree that their country of residence should provide sufficient financial incentives to install new energy innovation equipment at home (such as subsidies for installing heat pumps, insulation, or solar panels), compared to the global average of 34%. A similar proportion of consumers in the region (46%) believe that their country provides sufficient financial incentives for renting/purchasing electric vehicles (such as subsidies for vehicle purchase/loan fees, installation of charging equipment at home), with China and India leading with 61% each, surpassing all other markets involved in the study by Inmin.

"Although many consumers may support national regulation and dissuasion, they largely agree that the government is not doing enough to incentivize green behavior, especially in the transition to clean energy and transportation," Cope concluded.