Consumers across the world see technological innovation as critical to tackling future environmental challenges.
This is according to Ericsson’s latest ConsumerLab report based on a quantitative study of 12 000 Internet users from across the world.
The countries involved in the study include South Africa, US, Brazil, UK, Germany, Spain, Russia, Saudi Arabia, India, Malaysia, China and Australia. The sample consists of 1 000 respondents from each country.
Ericsson says the report uncovers the current consumer mindset of leading environmentally-sustainable lifestyles.
The latest Ericsson ConsumerLab report reveals fresh insights on consumer attitudes towards sustainability challenges, and how technology could help them to make a greater positive impact, the company notes.
For example, says Ericsson, in the last two decades alone, concern about air and water pollution has risen from concerning one in five consumers, to almost one in two; while consideration for climate change and global warming has also risen from 13% of consumers to 50%.
The study also includes consumers’ thoughts on where ultimate responsibility lies in mitigating environmental impact.
Globally, eight in 10 consumers consider governments as being responsible for environmental protection, with approximately 70% also considering citizens responsible. It’s clear consumers also see the need for collective action, with five in 10 expecting companies and brands to uphold their share of the responsibility.
The study reveals 46% of the respondents see technological innovation as critical to tackling future environmental challenges. Further, 36% would like their devices to offer guidance on living more environmentally consciously.
Interestingly, Ericsson notes, consumers who think technology will be crucial in solving future environmental challenges express almost twice the interest in various ICT solutions to help them live more environmentally consciously, compared to others.
“ICT tools and services can play a significant part in assisting consumers’ daily efforts to reduce their personal environmental impact,” says Zeynep Ahmet Vidal, senior researcher at Ericsson Consumer and IndustryLab and author of the report.
“We see in our study that consumers do perceive ICT as helpful as an aid in their daily life, be it for environmental-, health-, cost- or convenience-related reasons.
“But ICT also has the potential to enable future innovation in climate action, and here the service providers have a unique opportunity and position to provide novel solutions that can aid consumers in making more sustainable choices in daily life.”
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