2025 Highlights Report
From Concern to Well-being: The Evolution of the Sustainable Marketplace
Engaging consumers on sustainability remains a challenge for brands, NGOs, and governments. Yet empowering people to live healthier and more sustainable lives is critical for advancing sustainable development and offers significant rewards for organizations that can make it easier.
GlobeScan’s 2025 Healthy & Sustainable Living research reveals a shift: global concern and engagement with sustainability have declined compared to previous years, especially among Gen Z. Factors include climate fatigue, feelings of powerlessness, economic uncertainty, and reduced brand communication.
But there’s good news: sustainable purchasing continues to rise, and a new narrative – positioning sustainability as a smarter, healthier way of living – could re-energize consumer engagement
Key Insights:
- Greenhushing Is Affecting Consumer Engagement on Sustainability – Brands are reducing sustainability communications due to backlash and regulatory risk – a trend often referred to as greenhushing. This is eroding public awareness and trust, making sustainability messages less influential on consumer choices.
- Despite the Decline in Sustainability Communications, Consumers Are Buying More Green Products – Self-reported sustainable purchasing is increasing even as environmental worries soften and sustainability messaging is losing traction. Many consumers in mature markets are more willing to pay a premium for sustainable products – suggesting fearful concern is not the main driver of buying green.
- Well-being Is the Consumer Unlock for Sustainability – Personal priorities like health, financial well-being, and convenience are stronger motivators than environmental concern. Framing sustainability as a pathway to smarter and healthier living can boost engagement and value for consumers.
Launched in 2019, the Healthy & Sustainable Living research program aims to assist companies in supporting consumers to adopt healthier and more sustainable lifestyles. This program builds on over two decades of GlobeScan’s public opinion research in sustainability, branding, and reputation, and is designed to help organizations understand the diverse consumer mindsets that influence their barriers to and enablers of healthier and more sustainable living.
2025 Partners: Akatú Institute, BBMG, Consumers International, Danone, IKEA, Levi Strauss & Co., L’Oreal Group, Mastercard, Mondelez International, NYU Stern Center for Sustainable Business, P&G, Target, University College London (UCL), and WWF International.
