Climate change? India is well aware and worried

Developed nations cause more pollution and want to do precious little to curb it, says Accenture study

NEW DELHI: Not only are the developed nations responsible for much of the pollution and global warming, they are also less aware of their implications and less willing to act to contain them than emerging economies such as India, China and Brazil.

This is the conclusion of a study by London-based management consultancy and outsourcing company Accenture. Stating that consumers worldwide would switch to energy providers that help reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the study reveals individuals in emerging-market countries are more concerned about climate change than those in other countries.

The study of over 7,500 consumers in 17 countries in North America, Europe and Asia found that 89 per cent of all consumers surveyed would switch to energy providers ensuring lower GHG emissions.

While the majority (over 80 pc) said they believed climate change will have the greatest impact on the ecosystem, 74 pc said they believed it will also have a significant effect on people’s health. “Ninety-seven per cent of consumers surveyed in Brazil, China and India said they are concerned about climate change, compared with 85 per cent of all respondents,” the study says. 

People in these three countries are also the most aware of the level of effort required to reduce GHG emissions. “Over 80 pc of emerging-market respondents said they avoid taking the car (82 pc, compared with an average of 68 pc for all other respondents) and avoid buying food imported using aircraft (82 pc, compared with an average of 63 pc for all other respondents).” 

Significantly, over half (54 pc) said they would switch their existing electricity and gas providers if they didn’t take action to address climate change, and 61 pc said the same of their oil providers.

Further, nearly two-thirds (64 pc) of the respondents said they would pay a higher price — a premium of 11 per cent, on an average — for products and services with low greenhouse gas emissions.

This would not be limited to energy, but affect other products and services, too. “While the initial impact in business terms may be most evident on energy providers, it seems likely this impact will increasingly spread to other resources companies,” said Sander van ’t Noordende, group chief executive of Accenture’s resources operating group.