In March 2022, we surveyed 579 U.S. consumers on topics related to sustainability and ESG-related factors. The purpose of the survey was to gauge consumer sentiment on the importance of environmental, social, and governance issues and how individuals integrate these sentiments into daily life. Topics ranged from the urgency of climate change, social values, and human rights to familiarity with sustainable investing strategies.

Key Takeaways

• Top of mind for American consumers surveyed when considering what ‘sustainability’ means, is Climate Change, followed by Sustainable Technology and Carbon Emissions Reduction.
• Only 10% of survey respondents view consuming sustainably sourced products as unimportant.
• When asked about whether the concern over the current state of the environment is justified, nearly two-thirds of all survey respondents answered yes.
• Over 40% of survey respondents firmly believe climate change negatively impacts people around the world, while 30% fully agree it affects themselves and their loved ones.
• Though over 80% of the consumers surveyed understand the gravity of various social issues, only 31% consider them when making everyday decisions.
• If asked to rank Business Ethics, Racial Discrimination, Human Rights, Gender/Sexual Discrimination, Diversity, and Climate Change/Sustainability in order of greatest to least significant, survey respondents overwhelmingly ranked Human Rights as number one.
• Despite the awareness of ESG factors when applied to societal factors, 70% of respondents don’t know what ESG investing is.
• Only a fourth of U.S. consumers surveyed are aware of different investing verticals such as ESG, Thematic, or Socially Responsible Investing.
• Of the nearly two-thirds of Americans surveyed who have some sort of investment, nearly half give thought to a company’s impact on climate change during the investment process while a majority said they care about the values of the companies in which they invest.

Click here to download the Global X ETFs Survey on American Outlook on Sustainability and ESG Factors.