The UK public no longer ranks climate change as its top concern, placing the cost of living as its primary worry. Ensuring quality, affordable energy, fuel and food supplies are the top priorities now for consumers in the UK.

These are among the findings of communications consultancy SEC Newgate’s annual Global ESG Monitor, which surveyed more than 1,000 people in the UK in July of this year.

The research revealed that a third (30 per cent) of participants feel that things in the UK are headed in the right direction. This is a substantial drop from last year’s report, when more than half (52 per cent) felt that way, and it is well below the global average for 2022 (46 per cent).

When it came to the top three priorities for the UK’s future, survey participants gave the highest priority to: Addressing the rising cost of living (52 per cent), ensuring quality, affordable energy and fuel supplies (32 per cent) and ensuring secure and affordable food supplies (29 per cent).

Only around one in ten UK participants feel very informed about companies’ ESG activities and performance (11 per cent gave themselves a rating of 8 or more out of 10), while only one-in-five (22 per cent) actively seek such information. Equally troubling is that only two in five (38 per cent) participants in the UK feel they have a good understanding of the term ‘net-zero’, although the global count is even less at only one in five (17 per cent).

When asked an open-response question about the one ESG issue they feel is most important for companies in the UK to focus on, the front-runners were protecting the environment (13 per cent), addressing climate change (12 per cent) and reducing waste and increasing recycling (10 per cent).

Emma Kane, CEO of SEC Newgate UK, said: “Our findings show that the UK is veering off course as concerns around climate change take a backseat to the cost of living. However, the UK public still deeply cares about the environment and how companies and other organisations act. The British public is particularly sensitive to businesses evading tax and more than a third have a good understanding of net zero. Much more work needs to be done by the private and public sector in helping UK citizens understand ESG principles, with only 12% of people saying they had a good understanding of it.”

Share Story: