A new survey shows that while most people say sustainability matters to them, they don’t trust the companies promoting it.

What’s Related

According to Blue Yonder’s 2025 Consumer Sustainability Survey, only 20% of shoppers believe brands are being honest about their environmental efforts. That’s despite 62% of people saying they’ve seen more companies talking about sustainability in ads and promotions.

“Consumers are hungry for sustainability, but they’re not buying what brands are selling,” the report said. France had the highest trust level at 25%, while the U.S. followed at 23%. Still, more than a quarter of shoppers said they flat-out don’t believe what brands say about sustainability, and 17% said they have to do their own research to find out the truth.

The survey, which reached over 5,000 consumers across the U.S., U.K., France, Germany, and Australia/New Zealand, found that 78% think sustainability is important when shopping. Nearly half (47%) are willing to pay 5–10% more for eco-friendly products. But only 29% have actually changed which brands they shop based on sustainability.

That gap between what people say and what they do shows that price and convenience still matter most. More than half of consumers say sustainable products are too expensive. And while many say they’ll wait for slower, greener delivery, most aren’t willing to wait more than a few days.

The survey also asked who should be responsible for driving real sustainability. A third of consumers said companies should take the lead, 28% said the government, and 32% believe the responsibility is shared across businesses, governments, and nonprofits.