12% decline for environment-friendly purchases in urban India: Ipsos survey

The market research company, Ipsos conducted a survey in partnership with the World Economic Forum for COP 26. The COP 26 Summit is being held in Glasgow, Scotland from 1 November to 12 November 2021. 

The COP Summit is focusing on climate change and the renewed pledge by nations to reduce their carbon emissions. 

A study by Ipsos indicates that urban Indians have made changes around the products and services they buy and use, specifically out of concern for climate change. 

The sample respondents of approximately 500 individuals in India were interviewed. The sample representatives for the research are urban, educated, and/or more affluent than the general population. 

Urban Indians have taken personal actions out of sheer concern for climate change and some of the key actions include: 

• 37% saving energy at home 
• 36% saving water at home
• 35% avoiding throwing away of food
• 30% buying more sustainable food  
• 28% buying fewer things 
• 27% recycling, sorting waste or composting
• 26% avoiding products that have a lot of packaging 

However, for 2021, the seriousness around products and services that concern climate change have receded over the previous year with a 12% decline over the previous year in India. The global average for this is 14%.

Amit Adarkar, CEO, Ipsos India, says, "Urban Indians display their sense of responsibility by adopting behaviours and consumption which are more environment friendly, at the same time the prolonged pandemic may have led to some bit of inadvertent laxity in being more conscious and that is why we see a drop of 12% in 2021." 

Adarkar added, "Some of these resources are constantly depleting and choosing minimalism and avoiding wastage are responsible actions, though urban-centric. We have a burgeoning population and there is a strain on resources. So, recycling, responsible consumption becomes extremely imperative, though a monumental task."