SINGAPOREANS are not doing enough to improve the environment despite an ongoing push from the government and heightened attention, according to the latest edition of the OCBC Climate Index.

The index, released on Aug 16, found that despite a rise in green activism and increased conversations on climate change, most Singaporeans are still not embracing sustainable behaviour in a big way.

There has been an uptick in people travelling by air in 2022 (55 per cent), compared to 44 per cent who did so last year. More are also using air-conditioning as the main mode of cooling their homes - 21 per cent of people this year, up from 17 per cent in 2021. This is despite nearly half of respondents - or 47 per cent - expressing a desire to live a more sustainable life for a greener future.

On the topic of food, while there has been a drop in awareness of the carbon impact of food choices (82 per cent this year, compared to 88 per cent in 2021), the survey showed that fewer people today (77 per cent this year, down from 81 per cent last year) include red meat in their diets.

But those who consume red meat are doing so more frequently, with 78 per cent of respondents eating red meat once a week or more, as opposed to 72 per cent in 2021. A third of red meat eaters (35 per cent) who are aware that their food choice has an impact on the environment maintain that they love meat and do not want to change.

Asked about their spending habits, 57 per cent of respondents said they bought new, non-essential items more frequently than once a month - a 10 per cent increase from 2021.

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A total of 2,169 Singaporeans aged between 18 and 65 were surveyed online in June this year on more than 100 questions.

OCBC Bank’s head of group brand and communications Koh Ching Ching noted that this year’s survey results revealed that more Singaporeans want to create a more sustainable world, but find it difficult to make the real change when it is expensive or not convenient.

“Climate actions must therefore be deliberate with sacrifices to be made. We hope that the findings from this year’s index can help nudge behaviour and influence policymaking,” she said.

While the findings might be discouraging at first glance, there are bright spots that indicate improvements such as in transport choice or embracing “re-commerce”, said Jessica Cheam, the founder and managing director of Eco-Business.

“Mainstreaming sustainability-driven consumer behaviour takes time, and many factors such as cost, convenience and infrastructure heavily impact personal decisions,” she said. “The findings suggest that policymakers, businesses and civic society have to work harder at understanding basic human behaviour and how to improve sustainability outcomes by providing the right environment for consumers to make the right choices.”