Sustainability in advertising and marketing worldwide - statistics & facts

Climate change, resource scarcity, and conflict have turned sustainability into a vital issue across all industries, including the advertising and marketing sectors. There is a growing requirement for companies to provide a more sustainable future, highlighting socially and environmentally responsible products, processes, and brand values.

Companies ride the green wave

In a world where everybody appears to be “going green,” it is no surprise that brands have been jumping on the sustainability train with varying degrees of success, transparency, and honesty. Nearly nine out of 10 European companies have stated they plan to boost their sustainable marketing budget to any degree in the next few years. Sustainability followed inflation as the second most crucial topic dominating the agenda of European CMOs in 2023. At the same time, the share of European marketers who increased their sustainability budgets to raise sales and embellish their brand image was more significant than those who did so because it was the right thing to do.

Greenwashing leads to misleading marketing

Consumers are increasingly questioning how seriously companies are taking sustainability, with accusations of greenwashing becoming more and more frequent. Even enterprises that are acknowledged for their sustainable production processes are confronted by the test of making their marketing practices as eco-friendly as possible. In the United States, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) oversees green advertising at a federal level. For the past three decades, it has filed lawsuits against companies that breach their sustainable marketing protocols. In April 2022, the FTC sued Kohl’s and Walmart for falsely advertising rayon textile products as bamboo; as a result, both companies agreed to pay 5.5 million U.S. dollars in civil penalties. In August of the same year, H&M was sued in the U.S. for falsely presenting some of its products as sustainable. Consumers increasingly expect brands to practice what they preach and avoid straying into the greenwashing territory. Six out of 10 consumers in the United States believed ad agencies working for fossil fuel brands should be held liable for greenwashing and obstructing climate change. Almost one-quarter of Canadian consumers named disrespect for environmental sustainability as one of their primary concerns related to advertising.

Consumers call for eco-friendly brands

With six out of 10 people worldwide agreeing that if companies do not act immediately to combat climate change, they will be failing their staff and customers, it is evident that consumers expect brands to speak up for sustainability. More than half of consumers worldwide said they deemed environmental responsibility fundamental when selecting a brand. A 2022 study in the U.S. showed that Hispanic and Black consumers were most likely to look for information on a brand’s sustainability practices when purchasing a product. Sustainability is also a key element for businesses who want to reach a younger audience, with Gen Z consumers being the ones paying the most attention to it when choosing a brand.
This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.
Published by Michele Majidi, Dec 18, 2023

Key insights

Most important marketing trend according to CMOs in Europe
Sustainability
Leading sustainability challenge according to ad executives in Europe
Lack of education
Share of U.S. consumers who think ad agencies working for fossil fuel brands should be held liable for greenwashing
58%
Get more insights

Editor’s Picks Current statistics on this topic

Share of companies planning changes in spending on sustainable marketing in the next years in Europe as of July 2022

Marketing

Planned changes in spending on sustainable marketing in Europe 2022

Leading reasons why companies invest in sustainable marketing strategies according to marketers in selected European countries in July 2022

Marketing

Top reasons why companies invest in sustainable marketing in Europe 2022

Share of consumers who believe ad agencies and PR firms working for fossil fuel brands should be held liable for sustainability issues in the United States as of October 2022

Advertising

Opinions on ad industry's liability for fuel brands sustainability issues U.S. 2022

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