It had recently rolled out a program called grasscycling, which involves residents’ leaving grass clippings to naturally decompose on a lawn after mowing, rather than bagging them to be taken to a landfill. In 2010 the city of Calgary, Alberta, had a problem. Synthesizing these insights, we have identified five actions for companies to consider: use social influence, shape good habits, leverage the domino effect, decide whether to talk to the heart or the brain, and favor experiences over ownership. Much of the research has focused on public interventions by policy makers-but the findings can be harnessed by any organization that wishes to nudge consumers toward sustainable purchasing and behavior. The good news is that academics have learned a lot about how to align consumers’ behaviors with their stated preferences. We have been studying how to encourage sustainable consumption for several years, performing our own experiments and reviewing research in marketing, economics, and psychology. Unilever estimates that almost 70% of its greenhouse gas footprint depends on which products customers choose and whether they use and dispose of them in a sustainable manner-for example, by conserving water and energy while doing the laundry or recycling containers properly after use. Narrowing this “intention-action gap” is important not just for meeting corporate sustainability goals but also for the planet. In one recent survey 65% said they want to buy purpose-driven brands that advocate sustainability, yet only about 26% actually do so.
Yet a frustrating paradox remains at the heart of green business: Few consumers who report positive attitudes toward eco-friendly products and services follow through with their wallets. Indeed, one recent report revealed that certain categories of products with sustainability claims showed twice the growth of their traditional counterparts.
Consumers-particularly Millennials-increasingly say they want brands that embrace purpose and sustainability. On the surface, there has seemingly never been a better time to launch a sustainable offering.