Consumers expect businesses to lead on sustainability

ASIA Pacific is projected to become the world’s wealthiest region by 2030 with an expected delivery of half of global consumption growth. But the region is also the most vulnerable to the climate change impact of this economic boom, notably on the disproportionate number of people living in poverty who bear the risks on their environments, communities, and livelihoods.

Given the clear link between the region’s socio-economic progress and climate change, business leaders – who have the power to effect change – must make sustainability the top corporate priority, even as they grapple with a post-pandemic cost-of-living crisis. And it’s more than a moral responsibility; consumers expect it.

Kantar’s 2022 Sustainability Sector Index findings show that consumers expect businesses and governments to take the lead in sustainability. According to the study, which asked consumers around the world about their attitudes to sustainable living, about one-third of Asia Pacific residents say that businesses should behave sustainably. A similar proportion expects that of governments and NGOs too.