While concern has been growing in the US about the environment and climate change, new GfK research shows that American consumers still expect sustainable products to meet basic expectations – like being reasonably priced and working well.

In the latest Green Gauge® study from GfK Consumer Life, anxiety about climate change remains high, with 62% of Americans citing it as an extremely or very serious issue (up 2 percentage points since 2021). And 32% say they do take the environment into account all or most of the time when making purchases (up 1 point from 2021).

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But there are a number of “red flags” for the marketers of sustainable products in the new report. For example, nearly 4 in 10 (37%) Americans report that these “green” products “do not work as well” as traditional options – a rise of 4 percentage points versus last year and 8 points since 2020.

The percentage for Gen Z (ages 15 to 24) rose from 27% to 37% since 2021, and Gen X (ages 43 to 57) jumped from 32% to 38% in the same timeframe. (See Table 1.) But Millennials (ages 25 to 42) are still most skeptical about the efficacy of green products, with 44% saying they do not do the job as well.

Table 1. “Green” products do not work as well – by generations

Source: GfK Green Gauge, 2022

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In addition, over half (53%) of US consumers say that the environmentally friendly alternatives to everyday products cost too much – up from 51% the year before. While that level has dropped substantially from a high of 70% in 2011, the rise over the past 12 months likely reflects a new level of uncertainty around the economy.

The new report shows that, while price concern rose among Baby Boomers (ages 58 to 76) and Gen X over the past year, it held steady for Generation Z and dropped among Millennials. (See Table 2.)

Table 2. Environmentally friendly products are too expensive

Source: GfK Green Gauge, 2022

Despite this concern, Millennials still lead other generations on taking the environment into account when purchasing (43% all/most of the time vs. US average, 32%)

“In 2010, GfK warned that ‘green fatigue’ was hitting the marketplace and that trends around sustainability had the potential to overheat,” said Tim Kenyon, VP at GfK Consumer Life and director of the Green Gauge research program. “While concern about the environment and demand for green products are high, US consumers also want to see action from governments and companies – and they increasingly feel that products with an environmental benefit are falling short when it comes to both cost and quality.

“Simply doing good things does not mean that companies get a pass on the basics of everyday value and quality,” Kenyon added. “Despite the importance of purpose and supporting causes, brands need to balance the high minded and the practical in every interaction with consumers.

“The rising barriers to purchase also suggest that marketers need to do a better job of translating increased concern into purchase action. Marketers are missing out on an opportunity to do good while still being profitable and solving that problem should be a top priority.”

GfK Green Gauge® delivers an in-depth look into sustainability-related consumer trends, attitudes, and behaviors in over 20 countries. Now in its 30th year, Green Gauge combines up-to-date thinking with a historical view of consumers and environmental concern. Backed by the rich insights of GfK Consumer Life (formerly known as Roper Reports®), our study places sustainability in the broader landscape of consumer concerns and actions – showing how it fits within society’s other trends and forces.

Green Gauge also includes a profiling tool that segments consumers into five groups according to their environmental attitudes. The segments include:

• Glamour Greens – use their green actions to boost their social status
• Green InDeeds – most likely to work to help the environment
• Jaded – skeptical about environmental concerns and activism
• Carbon Cultured – pro-environment, but focusing on “easy” behaviors
• Green in Need – willing to help, but lacking the tools to do so

The 2022 Green Gauge study was conducted among 29,896 consumers in 18 core global markets, including 2,029 interviews in the US. Field dates were late January through early May 2022.