Almost a third of British shoppers are worried that we will be unable to reverse the impact of climate change, whatever we do, according to a recent poll by food and grocery retail analysts IGD.

The research, conducted among 1,091 shoppers in August 2009, found:

• 32% believe climate change is largely solvable with effort from everyone
• 30% believe it is already irreversible
• 19% suspect climate change will not turn out to be too big a problem
• 14% are not convinced that the climate is changing at all

The most optimistic group of shoppers is those aged between 15 and 24, with 39% of them believing climate change can be solved and only 22% believing it is irreversible. The most pessimistic are those aged 25-34, 39% of whom believe climate change is irreversible.

Joanne Denney-Finch, chief executive, IGD, said: “It is easy to polarise the debate about climate change between believers and disbelievers, but as our research shows, shoppers tend to split at least three ways between being dismissive, believing it is irreversible, and believing it can be solved. The outcome from Copenhagen will no doubt have an impact on how these attitudes evolve.”

Shoppers do not yet feel they can make a sustained difference through their shopping choices. When asked what they feel they can positively influence, they told us:

• personal health - 57%
• British farmers - 41%
• the local economy - 38%
• the way animals are treated - 38%
• farmers and workers in poorer nations - 26%
• the environment - 23%
• sustainable fishing - 17%
• global warming - 11%

Joanne continued: “At the moment the environment and global warming do not feature high up in the list of areas that shoppers feel they can influence through their purchase decisions.

“This is an area that many companies are working on to make environmental choices clearer and simpler in the future.”

Ends
 

Notes to Editors:

• IGD provides information, insight and best practice to the food and grocery industry worldwide and this year celebrates its centenary year.
• Figures from IGD report Shoppers in 2012: Is your business ready for them, published October 2009.
• Research based on interviews with 1,091 British shoppers
   

For more information contact:

Meeta Darji, Media Officer, IGD DD: +44 (0)1923 851990. M: +44 (0)7590 230455. E: meeta.darji@igd.com