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Writer's pictureSimon Shaw

Not my problem! - Why Chinese consumers don’t do sustainability



Chinese consumers live in densely populated, polluted megacities. Sustainable stuff really should appeal to them. So why doesn't it?


Over the past couple of years, I have completed multiple research projects in the sustainability space, for clients such as Unilever, Shell, and PepsiCo.


I have presented consumers with ideas for products made from recycled materials, packaging that is re-usable, and communications espousing brands’ green credentials.  In every case, the client’s ideas have been met with the same response from virtually everyone: a resounding expression of indifference.


To the untrained eye, this is odd.  For many years, Chinese people have been acutely aware of the environmental issues their country faces: air so polluted that people wear face masks when leaving the house; smogs so thick that there are children who have never seen stars; rivers so polluted by chemical waste that they haven’t been home to a single fish for decades.

Surely, therefore, Chinese people should be super-receptive to stuff that impacts positively the environment, shouldn't they?


The truth is, they’re not.


To some extent, this is due to many of the same reasons that affect consumers everywhere: ‘green’ products tend to be more expensive; concerns about their efficacy are widespread, and small changes to an individual’s behaviour pale into insignificance compared to the global scale of the issue.


But in China, there are additional barriers to take-up.  I believe that three are of particular note:-

 

1.    No media hysteria


When the Chinese media reports on environmental matters, it rarely catastrophises.  In fact, it reports calmly and constructively, and emphasises the positive steps the party is taking to improve the environment for the people.  The 'world is burning' narrative is conspicuous by absence.


For example, when reporting on air travel, it celebrates the advancements made in fuel efficiency, rather than the negative impact of air travel on global warming:



When it comes to flooding, it hails the fast and effective response of rescuers, rather than emphasising the increasing frequency and intensity of flooding as the planet warms:



And when to comes to global warming, it emphasises China’s leadership in combating the problem, rather than the catastrophising that has come to characterise some parts of the Western media:


As a result, consumers are more likely than their Western counterparts to feel that the problem is under control.  They do not experience the sense of urgency which might stimulate action, or make sustainability claims resonate.

 


2.    Evidence of positive large-scale change is all around

 

In the past few years, China has made great strides in environmental matters.

While problems are far from solved, things do appear to be moving in the right direction.  Deathly smogs are less frequent than they used to be, and sales of air purifiers have decreased significantly since their 2017 high point:



China now leads the world when it comes to green tech: It accounts for the majority of EV sales, with local manufacturers dominating the market, and it leads the world in solar and wind power:




And when it comes to river pollution, improvements – albeit nascent and slow – are being made:


  

As one might expect, the government-controlled media is only too happy to share this good news widely and frequently, further dousing the consumer's desire to act.



2.    The relationship between the citizen and the state


China is a one-party, top-down, authoritarian state where the rulers rule and everyone else keeps their heads down.


Citizens simply do not expect to have a say in politics or matters of public policy.  There are no MP’s surgeries or Town Halls, no grass roots pressure groups, and ‘activists’ are as rare as hen’s teeth.  Indeed, those few who dare to stick their head above the parapet risk arrest and detention.



Given the cultural context, it unsurprising that Chinese consumers feel little sense of responsibility when it comes to broad social maters such as sustainability.


When it comes to making consumer choices, they are hyper-focused on their own personal interests.  Product quality, packaging design, and user benefits are all relevant.  A brand’s green credentials are not. 

 

As a consequence of all these factors, Western companies have struggled to land their sustainability strategies in China. This is not to say that sustainable brands cannot gain traction. But to do so, they need to emphasise benefits other than sustainability.

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