Pollsters Populus surveyed 1,999 adults to gauge how environmental concerns had shifted since the onset of the recession.
They found 81 per cent of respondents paid more attention to cost/value than to environmental credentials.
Asked about their views on environmental issues today, compared with 12 months ago, respondents were evenly split: 49 per cent were no more or less concerned, while 50 per cent were more concerned.
The findings suggest communicators need to focus on value when crafting their environmental messages.
Ogilvy PR EMEA MD Ash Coleman-Smith said: ‘It suggests green products give consumers a money-saving efficiency, or an emotional reward. The recession is most likely to affect the emotional reward element of buying green.’
Meanwhile, 94 per cent of respondents said they would take ‘green steps’ such as buying energy-saving lightbulbs to help them make significant savings during the recession.
