A new study from Nine and leading market research firm Crowd.DNA shows that the loss of faith in government policy to act on climate change is seeing Australians want big companies and brands to come up with bold plans to a sustainable future.
The research, published today at Nine’s State of the Nation The virtual sustainability event shows that despite Australians making daily changes to live more sustainably, the majority feel that as a country we are not doing enough and that brands need to lead the way.
Such is the desire to collectively start making progress that an overwhelming 74% of Australians say the benefits of taking further action on climate change will outweigh the costs. But the results also revealed that 38% of Australians cannot name a brand or company that actively pursues sustainable practices.
Toby Boon, Director of Strategy and Insights at Nine, said: “This research clearly shows that Australians are desperate for leadership on sustainability and climate change.
“People feel there’s a leadership vacuum in this space, and there’s an opportunity for brands to embrace that sentiment, provided they adhere to certain golden rules – they must express leadership. honesty, transparency, responsibility and integrity.
“Australians want brands to collaborate, not compete. It’s more than words and slogans. Consumers want long-term solutions to implement positive change to make the world a better place for them and their families. families.
“And while they don’t expect dramatic change overnight, they want companies to communicate where they are on the journey. They want progress, not perfection.
Australians are united in wanting to take action on climate change and sustainability, with almost all saying they would have a more positive view of a company if it had a clear sustainability plan or business model, including 91% of babies -boomers, 90% of Generations X and Z, and 93% of Generation Y.
Nine – Total Publishing Sales Director Jo Clasby added that Nine is uniquely positioned to help marketers catch up with the times. As a member of State of the Nation event, she announced that Nine is taking a number of key initiatives across publishing and through its assets to help brands educate, inspire and lead Australians on a clear path to effect change.
These initiatives include a new editorial reporting franchise in The Australian Financial Review called Carbon Challenge which will focus on sustainability; a dedicated feature with the Money section of Tthe Sydney Morning Herald and age called Clean Capital which will explore all things ESG (environmental and social governance); a series of Leaders for the Future podcasts from The Sydney Morning Herald/The Age, and a series Please Explain Sustainability in Tube Mastheads (SMH, The Age, WAToday, Brisbane Times).
The power of Nine’s cross-platform assets will be harnessed to drive sustainability topics forward each month, with the release of content such as Explainers traveling on radio; streaming onboarding and video series through Nine’s youth assets, such as Pedestrian.
“At Nine, we are committed to helping brands in this important space,” Clasby said. “We know we are an important partner as brands benefit from a call to arms from ordinary Australians who want to take leadership on one of the greatest challenges of our time.”
