“Time is running out to save the planet,” reads the sobering headline from a new Mintel report that dropped into the Digest’s inbox this week. The research company’s new ‘Global outlook on sustainability’ paints a worrying picture of public desperation at our collective ability to tackle the climate crisis. The proportion of people who believe “if we act now we still have time to save the planet” has declined ten percentage points in the UK in the past three years, from a majority of 54% in 2021 to a minority of 44% in 2024. Globally, the number has declined from 55% to 48% over the same period.
There is also growing scepticism over whether people can make a positive difference to the environment through their own actions – the proportion of UK respondents answering in the affirmative fell from 56% to 45% from 2021 to 2024.
“Whilst the experience of climate change and its existential and public health threats can awaken and engage consumers, a growing realisation of the scale of the increasingly pressing challenges can also erode optimism and create a sense of feeling overwhelmed,” says Richard Cope, senior trends consultant at Mintel Consulting, who adds that increasing exposure to extreme weather events is also playing a role.
People are sceptical about brands’ green credentials too with 39% of Brits saying they don’t trust companies to be honest about their environmental impact. Clear communications and metrics hold part of the answer, according to Mintel, which found a simple on-pack sustainability claim or label would significantly impact people’s purchasing decisions.
What people say and do regarding sustainable living doesn’t always align of course. The same can be true of businesses. Some readers may recall Tesco getting into hot water earlier this year for falsely claiming that a significant volume of food waste was destined for animal feed when in fact it was being sent for anaerobic digestion. The food waste processor responsible for the gaffe was promptly fired and Tesco – which has historically adopted a leadership position on food waste transparency – has now bounced back with a fresh promise to “revolutionise” the process of creating animal feed from food waste. The Grocer reported that engineering company RenEco has been appointed to build a facility that will turn surplus food from Tesco into pulp or crumb used to feed animals. Starting from November, waste from bakery products and fresh produce will be sent to the site, while a separate process will see meat and fish surplus used in household petfood, the magazine reported.
Tesco also won praise from an influential figure this week after its chief executive Ken Murphy suggested the grocer could harness artificial intelligence alongside data from its Clubcard loyalty discount scheme to nudge shoppers into making healthier choices and reduce waste.
Speaking at the FT’s Future of Retail summit in London, Murphy said: “I can see it nudging you over time, saying: ‘I’ve noticed over time in your shopping basket that your sodium salt content is 250% of your daily recommended allowance. I would recommend you substitute this, this and this’.”
Henry Dimbleby, the author of England’s national food strategy, applauded Murphy’s leadership. Speaking on Radio 4’s Today programme, Dimbleby said: “It’s great to hear that there’s recognition that food-related ill health, if we don’t get a grip on it, is going to destroy our health, the NHS and the economy, but he (Murphy) isn’t going to be able to do it on his own.”
Dimbleby has consistently called for mandatory reporting of key health indicators by large food businesses in order to create a level playing field and incentivise businesses to sell a greater proportion of healthy products.
Elsewhere in this week’s Footprint news we report on a backlash among food hygiene professionals over plans to shake-up food regulation; findings from the most comprehensive review of farm environmental performance ever carried out; and concerns of campaign groups over banks’ funding of intensive meat and dairy production.