Sustainability has staying power
New Deloitte research shows that climate change remains top-of-mind for people worldwide, motivating action in all aspects of their lives as citizens, employees, and consumers
Jennifer Steinmann
Leon Pieters
James Cascone
Derek M. Pankratz
David R. Novak
While climate action is not happening quickly enough,1 the demand for it is emerging as a key consideration for corporate strategy,2 as environmentally minded stakeholders put pressure on the brands they use. The latest research from Deloitte’s ConsumerSignals Survey (see methodology) shows there is a stable segment of the global population that considers climate change to be an emergency and is changing their personal behaviors to address it.
Climate change is here now, and respondents are feeling the impacts
Among the 20,000 respondents surveyed by Deloitte across 20 countries in September 2024, 56% have personally experienced at least one climate-linked extreme weather event within the last six months. This is particularly notable among those in the Global South including South Africa, Brazil, Mexico, and India (figure 1). This number could continue to grow if the effects of climate change intensify over the coming years. 2024 is the hottest on record to date,3 a trend that is expected to continue.4
A consistent majority of respondents think climate change is an emergency
Despite a range of other pressures and priorities and some softening of sentiment, respondents continue to highlight the importance and urgency of climate change. Since Deloitte began asking the question in September 2021, a strong majority of respondents have characterized climate change as an emergency (figure 2).
This demonstrates consistent awareness of the issue, which may be influencing decision-making in a variety of areas, according to the research. People who think climate change is an emergency are far more likely to report that they have changed their behaviors to address climate change than those who do not (figure 3). But the data also shows fewer people who are uncertain and a slight uptick in people who do not think it is an emergency since September 2021.
Across all age groups, respondents say they’ve changed their personal activities or behaviors to help fight climate change (figure 4).
Older respondents show less emotional engagement with climate change
Deloitte recently began asking people about the emotions they have been feeling about climate change. Our latest data show slight increases in three of the positive emotions associated with climate changes—hope, determination, curiosity—which ticked up across all three age brackets.
Compared with respondents in the 18-to-34 age group, those who are 55 years and older are not as emotionally engaged with climate change, less frequently reporting feeling anger, sadness, helplessness, fear, and guilt. Importantly, they’re less curious about the topic and report less hope, too (figure 5).
Younger respondents are considering climate change in their future plans
For respondents between the ages of 18 and 34, climate change is starting to shape their decisions about where they call home. Thirty-nine percent of 18- to 34-year-olds say they are considering moving where they live to reduce their exposure to climate impacts, compared with just 14% among those over the age of 55 and 28% between the ages of 35 and 55 (figure 6).
Sustainability-minded consumers are willing to accept tradeoffs for the environment
Despite economic headwinds, a core group of consumers continues to make sustainable purchases and is often willing to pay more and accept other tradeoffs to support sustainable products (figure 7). About half of respondents (47%) in September 2024 said they had purchased a sustainable good in the last four weeks (based on their definition of sustainability), a number that has remained relatively steady since 2021.
As Deloitte’s data shows, the cost of sustainable products and services remains the most notable purchase factor in the minds of consumers who are purchasing sustainable products.
Respondents want to see their employers take climate action
The data shows that 63% of respondents do not think their employers are doing enough to address climate change and sustainability, but are hesitant to change jobs because of it. Among those surveyed, 21% say they have considered switching jobs to work for a more sustainable company (figure 8), and 39% would like to see their employers speak publicly on climate change and environmental issues, a slight decrease of four percentage points over the last year.
About the Global Consumer Signals Survey
Since September of 2021, Deloitte has conducted a biannual survey of more than 20,000 respondents per wave in more than 20 countries to understand the range of people’s attitudes and behaviors related to climate change. The questions ask about a variety of climate change beliefs and attitudes, and about people’s actions in three categories: their personal choices and consumption, their civic and political actions, and their perspective as employees. Previous surveys were fielded in September 2021, and in both March and September from 2022 to 2024. Response countries vary by wave but are concentrated in North America, Europe, and East and South Asia.
