Igniting A Green Revolution

Today is the day!

Months of preparation and tireless work have led us here. Our blood, sweat and tears went into this project. Ok… that *might* be a tad dramatic, but it has been a labour of love nonetheless and we are beyond thrilled to launch our new research report: Igniting A Green Revolution! The report has been developed specifically to make recommendations on how society can boost sustainable consumer and brand behaviour.

Aside from the humble goal of igniting a green revolution, our report has a range of key aims:

1. Assess the attitudes towards sustainability held by consumers and brands
   
2. Identify the key barriers consumers and brands need to overcome
   
3. Recommended practical solutions to help improve the situation for both
   consumers and brands
   
4. Inspire organisations to reach out and collaborate with others and solve
   sustainability problems together
   
5. Provide analysis and data on the role technology can play in improving
   sustainable behaviour
   

The data we were able to gather on consumer and brand’s views on sustainability was comprehensive, but in this introductory post, let’s start by looking at the recommendation highlights. You can find these all in the Executive Summary, but here’s a brief breakdown to begin:

 Consumers need to see they are part of a growing movement

• Brands, NGOs, governments, the media, and wider society need to show consumers that sustainable living is a growing movement, increasing in popularity every day.

• Consumers are more likely to take action if they can see they are part of a wider movement of like-minded individuals. They need to be reminded when they are making a purchasing decision, that they are not alone when it comes to making sustainable choices. They are not the only ones that want to protect the planet for future generations.

Brand peer pressure works

• Other than financial incentives, businesses can be motivated by both moral considerations and the behaviour of their competitors.

• Championing businesses that are pioneers in sustainability, emissions reduction, product reuses and waste reduction must be ramped up.

• The more these efforts and initiatives are celebrated and shared, the more brands will wake up to their responsibilities to become more sustainable.

Technology will be a crucial tool in boosting sustainable behaviour change, particularly for consumers

• Technological innovation will enable smarter, greener decisions and will help consumers see how they are part of a growing community-focused on green issues.

Insights into consumer and business attitudes

• The majority of consumers are motivated to live sustainable lives.

• A minority of consumers do not think that they can be motivated to live sustainably.

• Consumers think that technology has the most crucial role to play in sustainable living, helping them make greener choices.

• Non-recyclable materials and complex rules for recycling are key causes for consumer concern.

• Consumers think that governments and brands have the biggest moral responsibility to help them live sustainably.

• The vast majority of businesses are motivated by moral reasons to be sustainable.

• Businesses acknowledge the need to change their production process to be more sustainable.

• Businesses are concerned by a “lack of government financial support” and “lack of clear government guidance for transitioning towards recyclable materials”

We’ve developed this report as part of 3 Sided Cube’s Ignite program, a new initiative to boost sustainable living using the latest app technology, new research, hackathons, and collaborative events. We are endlessly passionate about building tech for good and utilising technology to save the planet. For us, this isn’t optional, but our responsibility to do whatever we can to drive the change that desperately needs to happen.

Just in case you don’t know already, the program is a purpose-built movement to drive behavioural change and make a difference to the ever-growing waste crisis, support sustainable, low carbon living and enhance environmental protection.

Working with inspiring organisations including The American Red Cross, the World Resources Institute, and LUSH, every single one of us at 3 Sided Cube are on a mission to create apps that enable and nudge people, businesses and NGOs to improve their sustainability efforts and make greener choices.

Commenting on the launch of the ‘Igniting A Green Revolution’ report, our MD, Richard Strachan, said:

“The climate crisis, ecological destruction and ongoing problems with plastic waste are global issues that can’t be ignored. We must tackle them head-on, starting here in the UK, and come up with practical solutions. It is not just up to governments; it is up to businesses and consumers as well. That is why we have developed this report. We wanted to uncover the key factors affecting our behaviour as consumers and brands when it comes to sustainability. What are our motivations? What is stopping us? What would help us get better?

“These are the questions we have focused on here. As you progress through the pages, you’ll see that we have delved into the detail, assessed the data, and drawn conclusions that have guided the recommendations. We look forward to driving meaningful behaviour change in response to them, whether that’s through technological innovation, collaboration with other organisations or developing new research to share with media.”

“We’ve already seen the impact this approach can make working with The American Red Cross and Forest Watcher. We know that reprimanding people doesn’t work if we want to reach a mass audience. We have to ‘nudge’ consumer and brand behaviour towards greener choices instead. Technology is one of the best tools we have to make this happen.”

And we also will be hosting an event to discuss the outcomes of the report and wider views on how technology can support sustainability. With a super-star panel of industry experts, ideation workshops and the best kind of networking we can facilitate in this digital age, an informative and productive time is bound to be had by all!

Don’t miss out and sign-up here!

Of course, this is only the beginning… As we launch more initiatives and research findings from the Ignite program, we’d love to invite you to follow our journey. And as we LOVE collaboration even more, if your company or if you personally would like to get involved, make sure you shout us a holla!