AR SUSTAINABILITY REPORT
Why sustainability matters Welcome to the inaugural Appliance Retailer Sustainability Report.
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e recognise that more consumers are looking to brands that are making environmentally friendly decisions to support a sustainable future. More than seven in 10 Australians (71%) are either ‘extremely concerned’ or ‘somewhat concerned’ about their personal carbon footprint, according to a recent Finder Consumer Sentiment Tracker, which represents responses from a 1,015 person nationally representative sample. Generation Z (those born after 1996) are the most concerned, followed by Gen Y (born between 1981 and 1996) and then Gen X (born between 1965 and 1980). We have taken the opportunity to address the importance of this persistent trend and the steps being taken by members of the appliance and consumer electronics industry to contribute to a better tomorrow.
Defining sustainability
The Cambridge Dictionary defines sustainability as ‘the idea that goods and services should be produced in ways that do not use resources that cannot be replaced and that do not damage the environment’. When Appliance Retailer approached brands in the appliance and consumer electronics industry, there were varying definitions of the term sustainability, but one theme was unanimous – it not only relates to creating more energy efficient products, but nurturing employees,
customers, communities and other stakeholders with the view of creating a better world for future generations. The Finder Tracker also found that more than four in 10 (42%) believe a company’s social and environmental efforts are either ‘extremely important’ or ‘very important’ when considering whether to buy from them, with 34% saying it is ‘moderately important’. By generational split, it was considered ‘extremely important’ by 21% of Gen Z, ahead of Gen Y (18%), Gen X (15%) and Baby Boomers (9%). Those that responded ‘very important’ were made up of 34% of Gen Z, 33% of Gen Y, 26% of Gen X and 16% of Baby Boomers. “Younger audiences are more interested in this topic and are more passionate and concerned about reducing their environmental footprint,” Finder head of corporate social responsibility and public affairs, Ben King told Appliance Retailer. “No business can ignore climate change anymore, particularly among the Millennial audience who are entering their 30s and are some of the biggest buyers of any product. We’ve seen increases in Google searches for green products and services, which didn’t happen even five years ago. It’s becoming more front of mind now.” Sustainability is a topic often reserved for boardrooms, so the aim of this Report is to bring sustainability to the forefront of conversation and provide a resource for the industry to better understand the steps being taken by brands. AR
