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Transcript of 2015 G&S Sense Sustainability Study_FINAL
2015 G&S Business Communications
Public Perspectives on Corporate Social Responsibi l ity and Environmental Stewardship
SENSE & SUSTAINABILITY® STUDY
Table of Contents
Background and Objectives 4
Executive Summary 6
Detailed Findings 10
Methodology 19
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
2015 SENSE & SUSTAINABILITY® STUDY 4
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
• G&S Business Communications (G&S) is a firm with expertise in sustainability and corporate social responsibility, business consulting and employee engagement for the advanced manufacturing, agribusiness and food, clean technology and energy, consumer, financial and professional services, and home and building industries.
• G&S commissioned the sixth annual G&S Sense & Sustainability® study conducted online in
April 2015 by Harris Poll among 2,055 U.S. adults ages 18 and older. • The research focuses on public perceptions of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and
environmental stewardship, along with consumer opinions on business reputations, specifically:
› Businesses’ commitment to sustainability, with breakouts by industry; › Interest in learning about companies’ environmental and social responsibility initiatives; › Media sources for information about companies’ environmental and social responsibility
initiatives; › Impact of environmental and social causes on brand choices; › Familiarity with business practices related to environmental and social responsibility; and, › Confidence in knowledge of basic scientific concepts.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
2015 SENSE & SUSTAINABILITY® STUDY 6
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
• Nearly 40 percent of Americans question their practical understanding of science.
› Although 61 percent believe they have a good working knowledge of scientific concepts, nearly 2 in 5 (39 percent) feel they do not have a solid comprehension.
• Two in five U.S. adults do not feel well informed about the ways businesses can practice sustainability.
› Among Americans, 40 percent say they have an insufficient grasp of how companies can
practice sustainability concerning the well-being of the planet, people and communities.
• A growing number of Americans are choosing to stay uninformed about the sustainability efforts of businesses.
› One-quarter of U.S. adults (25 percent) do not rely on any sources to learn about business
efforts to promote corporate social and environmental responsibility, an increase from 20 percent last year.
› Year-over-year findings also show that advertisements (27 percent in 2015 vs. 37 percent in 2014) and corporate websites (14 percent in 2015 vs. 20 percent in 2014) have sharply fallen out of favor as sources for information about business initiatives related to CSR or sustainability.
› In contrast, in the past two years the news media (54 percent in 2015 vs. 57 percent in 2014) and word-of-mouth among trusted personal contacts (40 percent in 2015 vs. 41 percent in 2014) hold steady as the top two sources of CSR and green business information.
2015 SENSE & SUSTAINABILITY® STUDY 7
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
• Human rights and wildlife protection are among the top environmental and social issues that significantly influence consumers’ brand choices.
› In making decisions about which brands to support, at least one-third of Americans identify
human rights (41 percent) and wildlife protection (33 percent) as “very influential” social and environmental issues as compared to deforestation (25 percent), climate change (24 percent), fair trade (21 percent) and carbon footprint (19 percent).
• Agriculture, energy, and food and beverage industries lead with positive reputations for sustainability while manufacturing, leisure services and transportation lag.
› Among the industries measured, Americans rank agriculture (47 percent), energy (40
percent), and food and beverage (36 percent) in the top three with the best reputations for environmental and social responsibility.
› In comparison, the industries that trail among those measured for best sustainability reputations are: Transportation, which includes vehicle manufacturers, airlines, rail, infrastructure and logistics (19 percent); leisure services, which include hotels, cruise lines, casinos and restaurants (17 percent); and manufacturing (14 percent).
2015 SENSE & SUSTAINABILITY® STUDY 8
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
• Companies can take specific actions to improve their CSR reputations.
› More than two-thirds of Americans say businesses can contribute to their positive reputations for sustainability by conserving natural resources (72 percent) or supporting environmental or social causes (66 percent).
› In contrast, having a celebrity spokesperson (8 percent) is less likely to have a positive effect on corporate reputations for sustainability.
• Americans say the general public bears considerable responsibility for the well-being of people, communities and the environment throughout the process of supplying goods and services.
› Significant social and environmental responsibility is assigned to the general public by the
majority of U.S. adults (55 percent), as compared to other groups that impact the supply chain, including the supplier (45 percent), brand (37 percent) and retailer (30 percent).
DETAILED FINDINGS
2015 SENSE & SUSTAINABILITY® STUDY 10
News media(e.g., newspapers, magazines,
television, radio, Web)
Word-of-mouth(i.e., discussions with family and trusted acquaintances)
Advertisements(e.g., broadcast, print,
Web, outdoor)
Multiple responses permitted.2014 Base: Total Adults (N=2,039). 2015 Base: Total Adults (N=2,055)
NoneOther
6%
14%
20% 20%
27%27%
40%41%
54%57%
37%
32%
15%16%
25%
7%
Sustainability or social
responsibility reports
Corporate websiteSocial media and blogs
(e.g., Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, independent blogs)
20152014
MEDIA SOURCES FOR GREEN NEWS
Which of the following sources, if any, do you rely on for information about business efforts to promote sustainability – meaning “going green” or social responsibility?
2015 SENSE & SUSTAINABILITY® STUDY 11
Environmental or social policies
promoted by non-governmental
organizations (e.g., Habitat for Humanity, Teach for America, World
Wildlife Fund)
Publication of scientific data
or research
Awards or public recognition
Philanthropy or volunteerism
Multiple responses permitted.2015 Base: Total Adults (N=2,055)
NoneOther
47%
35%33% 32%
30%28% 27%
15%
5%
Acknowledgement of need to improve
performance
Political advocacy
Sharing relatable news (e.g., human interest
stories)
BUSINESS ACTIVITIES AND CORPORATE COMMITMENT
What types of business activities, if any, help you understand a company’s commitment to environmental or social responsibility?
2015 SENSE & SUSTAINABILITY® STUDY 12
Businesses are likely to address environmental
or social issues only when there is a related
economic impact
Businesses that are committed to environmental or
social responsibility have good reputations
I have a good working knowledge of core scientific concepts
I feel well-informed about the ways that businesses
can practice sustainability – meaning “going green” or
social responsibility
Businesses are likely to address environmental or social issues because it is
the right thing to do
I feel confident about my understanding of
the ways that businesses can contribute positively
to society (e.g., jobs, philanthropy,
technological innovation).
2015 Base: Total Adults (N=2,055)
81% 81%
71%61% 60%
49%
19% 19%
29%
39% 40%
51%
ATTITUDES TOWARD CSR AND CONFIDENCE IN KNOWLEDGE
Please indicate how much you agree or disagree with each of the following statements.
Stro
ngly
/Som
ewha
t A
gree
(N
ET)
Stro
ngly
/Som
ewha
t D
isag
ree
(NET
)
2015 SENSE & SUSTAINABILITY® STUDY 13
Offering affordable goods or services
Creating local jobs
Supporting environmental
or social causes
Conserving natural
resources
Multiple responses permitted.2015 Base: Total Adults (N=2,055)
NoneOther
72%
66% 65%62% 61%
50%
19%
10%8%4%
Having visible/popular brand(s)
Having a celebrity
spokesperson
Supporting the community (e.g., scholarships,
educational programs)
Providing goods or
services that are certified
(e.g., ENERGY STAR, Fair Trade)
CONTRIBUTORS TO POSITIVE REPUTATIONS
Which of the following business attributes or activities, if any, contribute to a company’s positive reputation for sustainability – meaning environmental or social responsibility?
2015 SENSE & SUSTAINABILITY® STUDY 14
Human rights Wildlife protection Deforestation Carbon footprint Climate changeFair trade
2015 Base: Total Adults (N=2,055)
Very influential Not very influentialSomewhat influential Not at all influential
40% 42% 48% 42% 43% 38%
41% 33% 21%25% 19% 24%
12% 17% 21% 22% 24% 22%7%
8%10% 10%
14% 15%
81%75%
69% 68%62% 62%
19%25%
31% 32%38% 38%
IMPACT ON BRAND CHOICES
How influential, if at all, are each of the following environmental or social issues on your decisions about which brands to support?
Very
/Som
ewha
t In
fluen
tial (
NET
)N
ot a
t al
l/N
ot v
ery
influ
entia
l (N
ET)
2015 SENSE & SUSTAINABILITY® STUDY 15
Financial and professional
services
EnergyAgriculture
2015 Base: Total Adults (N=2,055)
Manufacturing
47%
40%
36%
28% 27% 26%24%
21%19%
17%14%
Health care and pharmaceuticals
Food and beverage
Consumer staples
(e.g., household and personal products)
Building and construction
(e.g., building products,
engineering)
Leisure services
(e.g., hotels, cruise lines, casinos, restaurants)
Transportation (e.g., vehicle
manufacturers, airlines, rail, infrastructure,
logistics)
Consumer durables (e.g., consumer
electronics, household furnishings and
appliances, housewares, apparel, textiles)
INDUSTRIES BY GREEN REPUTATIONS
Please rank each of the following industries according to their reputations for sustainability (i.e., environmental or social responsibility). Please rank from “1”, having the best reputation, to “11”, having the worst reputation. Even if you aren’t sure, please provide your best estimate.
Summary of Top 3 Best Reputation (How often industries were ranked 1, 2 or 3)
2015 SENSE & SUSTAINABILITY® STUDY 16
General public Non-governmental organizations or
“watchdog” groups
Government Religious groups
2015 Base: Total Adults (N=2,055)
55%
50%48%
45%
37%35%
30%
Supplier (i.e., provides ingredients, parts or processes used in
goods or services offered for sale by brands)
Retailer (i.e., provides a location or platform where goods or
services are sold to consumers)
Brand (i.e., offers completed goods or services for sale to consumers)
SUPPLY CHAIN RESPONSIBILITY
Please rank each of the following groups according to their degree of responsibility for protecting the well-being of people, communities and the environment throughout the process of supplying goods and services. Please rank from “1” as being the most responsible to “7” as being the least responsible. Even if you aren’t sure, please provide your best estimate.
Summary of Top 3 Most Responsible (How often industries were ranked 1, 2 or 3)
2015 SENSE & SUSTAINABILITY® STUDY
“I have a good working knowledge of core scientific concepts.”Response: Summary of Strongly/Somewhat Disagree
TotalWomen: 47%
Men: 30%
Age 65+Women: 61%
Men: 37%
Age 55-64Women: 58%
Men: 28%
2015 Base: Total Adults (N=2,055); Females (N=1,157); Males (N=898); Females age 55-64 (N=177); Females age 65+ (N=233)
17
UNEASE WITH SCIENCE BY GENDER
More women than men believe their understanding of basic science is insufficient. Nearly half of female adults (47 percent) express a lack of confidence about their science comprehension, as compared to only 30 percent of their male counterparts. There is greater disparity among older generations of women and men.
2015 SENSE & SUSTAINABILITY® STUDY
Seniors: 26%(age 65+)
Older Boomers: 27%(age 55-64)
Older Gen Xers andYounger Boomers: 29%(age 45-54)
Younger Gen Xers: 27%(age 35-44)
Millennial Adults: 18%(age 18-34)
2015 Base: Total Adults (N=2,055); Adults age 18-34 (N=509); Adults age 35-44 (N=259); Adults age 45-54 (N=417); Adults age 55-65 (N=408); Adults age 65+ (N=462)
18
Which of the following sources, if any, do you rely on for information about business efforts to promote sustainability – meaning “going green” or social responsibility?
Response: None
LACK OF INTEREST IN CSR BY GENERATION
More older Americans than their millennial counterparts do not rely on any sources for CSR information. Among Americans who do not use any sources to learn about the sustainability efforts of businesses, fewer than 2 out of 10 are Millennials. In contrast, older generations each have at least one-quarter among their respective groups who claim they do not depend on any sources.
2015 SENSE & SUSTAINABILITY® STUDY 19
METHODOLOGY
• All data collection was conducted online by Harris Poll on behalf of G&S. • A nationally representative sample of 2,055 U.S. adults ages 18 and older was interviewed
using the QuickQuerySM online omnibus product, with the Harris Poll Online panel as the sampling frame.
• Data collection for the 2015 study was conducted between April 14 and 16, 2015. • Final data are weighted to be representative of the U.S. adult population based on: region,
age within gender, education, household income, race/ethnicity, and propensity to be online.
2015 G&S Business Communications
SENSE & SUSTAINABILITY® STUDY
Public Perspectives on Corporate Social Responsibi l ity and Environmental Stewardship
For more information:G&S Business Communicationswww.gscommunications.com Ron LochSenior Vice President and Managing Director, Sustainability Consulting Practice(312) 648-6700 or [email protected] Mary C. BuhaySenior Vice President, Marketing(212) 697-2600 or [email protected]