I recently read a new name for the effect of greenwashing on consumers - "
Green Fatigue"...
Still on the general topic of "greenwashing" – the findings of a recent survey are very interesting.
According to the survey:
Consumers will pay for green products but are more sceptical | CorporateResponsibility.Net
Quote:
According to a green survey from Rackspace Hosting (PDF), 44 percent of respondents are willing to pay more for green products and services this year; down significantly from the 59 percent of respondents that were willing to pay more last year.
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“It’s interesting to see that customers still think green is very important, but today they may be less willing to pay more or trade performance for lower carbon emissions.
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So, assuming that the results of the survey are valid, the question remains as to the significance of the trend: consumer willingness-to-pay higher prices for “green products and services” dropping from 59% (last year) to 44% (this year).
Does this represent a lessening of consumer concern for the major issues of environmental uncertainty (weather / climate), food prices, energy crisis, etc.? Or could the cause be related to an increased cynicism or skepticism related to other developments like all the mega-corporations that are suddenly “going green” for profit?
That variety of corporate eco/green self-labellers are, of course, in direct contrast to organizations that sell green products and services to support environmental initiatives/activities. If the on-going proliferation companies that have made the transition from {major polluters} to {green washers} to {green profiteers} are a main contributing factor to a loss of consumer confidence that would be unfortunate, since many smaller companies with genuine motives have been actively involved in promoting and expanding the market space for green/ethical/organic products and services for many years...
Related articles:
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Marketing of green loses some buzz and credibility - World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD)
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Corporate CSR Skepticism Fueled by ‘Greenwashing Washout’ • Environmental Leader
