Only 8 per cent (UAE) and 15 per cent (KSA) of consumers said they believed that brands are currently making sufficient efforts to combat climate change, according to Havas Middle East’s new report.
The figures indicate that a larger number of UAE and KSA respondents, in comparison, found that brands are not currently making sufficient efforts.
The findings were part of Havas Middle East‘s latest report, ‘Joyful Frugality’. The report is the agency’s latest edition of its periodic Prosumer Report.
Sampling 1,013 people, evenly spilt across UAE and KSA, the study focuses on evolving attitudes towards consumption in the region, as well as the growing trend of mindful spending among consumers.
The report also indicated that close to half of the consumers felt that brands and businesses are most responsible for climate change.
More KSA consumers (41 per cent) indicated they agreed with this statement than UAE consumers (39 per cent).
Following on similar lines, responses also indicated that a large amount of consumers believed that the onus of making a minimalistic future desirable and paying for the costs of going green lied with brands and companies.
91 per cent of UAE consumers believe that brands and companies must make a more frugal future desirable. Among the KSA consumers, 88 per cent displayed similar sentiments.
Both countries showed a higher per cent of consumers compared to the global figures (82 per cent).
Social media has a shown a similar trend with the rise of “deinfluencer” trend, where content creators aim to hold brands accountable by speaking up against materialism, overpriced trends, and fads, which finally lead to landfill waste.
93 per cent of KSA consumers believed that large companies are better able to make the changes necessary to combat climate change, while 89 per cent believe that companies making the most profit should be the first ones paying for the ecological transition.
Similarly, but on a slightly lesser scale, 89 per cent of UAE agreed with the first statement and 87 per cent agreed with the second statement.
Dany Naaman, CEO, Havas Middle East highlights the significance of the study, “Our report urges brands to not just treat sustainability and mindful consumption as passing trends, but to view them as essential, enduring shifts in how we manage our resources and responsibilities.”
