The attitude of Poles towards ecology, sustainable development and corporate social responsibility is gradually evolving – there is growing awareness and expectation that corporations will begin to change their operating mechanisms and bear the real costs of their operations which include responsibility for local communities, the environment and the exploitation of natural resources.
Although, at the moment, the pandemic is the most serious problem, it has not completely overshadowed the awareness of the aforementioned challenges facing humanity. We look at these aspects by filtering them through the prism of personal concerns about health and safety now and in the future.
As shown in the latest IPSOS COVID 365+ survey conducted on a representative sample of Poles in February/March 2021 – half of the people surveyed claim that the pandemic has made them re-evaluate their lives, and the most important issue for them now is health and good relationships with their immediate family. We continue to value financial security and job stability, but our expectations of a life of prosperity have diminished.
Concerns about our own and our family’s’ health make us value features of products such as the environmental friendliness, composition and health aspects of the products (according to the aforementioned IPSOS survey these features are more important for women who, in the majority of households, decide about grocery shopping, and the importance of these elements increased by as much as 20–30% in the past year). When selecting grocery products we also pay far more attention to the Polish origin of the product (a 30% increase) and environmentally-friendly packaging (a 20% increase).
Pro-ecological attitudes are increasingly important for Poles
It also transpires that the pandemic experience is strengthening our pro-ecological attitudes (that are currently 40% more important for Poles, more often for women) and it has had an impact on the significant increase in the percentage of people who are concerned about the climate crisis – which is now almost 55% of Poles.
Similar conclusions can be drawn from the second edition of the KANTAR and the “Earthlings Attack!” report prepared by Lata Dwudzieste in August 2020 – despite the experience of the pandemic, as many as 78% of Poles believe that the condition of the Earth today is serious and requires immediate action, and that environmental pollution, climate change and the depletion of natural resources are among the most serious threats to the world.
Changes in lifestyle enforced by the pandemic have an impact not only on attitudes and values, but also on consumer awareness – Poles declare that they will reduce consumption and increase second-hand purchases of goods and repairs of their existing equipment. According to IPSOS, this is not yet forced minimalism, but one can already speak of consumer prudence.
Changes in the value hierarchy and in lifestyle encourage reflection on the principles on which the current capitalist world is based. Debates on the roles and responsibility of consumers, governments and corporations are becoming more frequent in many countries.
The number of publications on topics related to the climate catastrophe is constantly growing. Last year alone, more than 219,000 articles were published in the Polish media on climate change (almost twice as many as the year before), and this translates into a slowly but steadily growing awareness of Poles (according to the report “Earthlings Attack!”).
Not only a change of attitude, but also real actions to care for the natural environment
Apart from theoretical discussions, concrete and tangible changes are taking place right before our very eyes. In Warsaw, the rates for waste disposal have just been linked to water consumption and local government subsidies for waste disposal have been abolished. Such actions as “Replace your smoking stove” (“Wymień kopciucha”) or subsidies for installing photovoltaic panels are popular. Citizens are becoming more active on issues related to local tree felling (e.g. protection of the Kabacki Forest) or resigning from the mowing of lawns to protect biodiversity and pollinators. The Carrefour store chain is currently testing the collection of returnable bottles without the need to show purchase receipts.
Portals such as Vinted.pl are becoming more and more popular, where you can sell unnecessary things (mainly clothes) and also donate things to olx or Facebook groups such as "garbage truck goes". There are demands from non-governmental organizations and some politicians to consider the restrictions on advertising products that are most harmful to the environment (this applies primarily to the meat industry).
The increase in the number of publications and voices of authorities as well as concrete local initiatives translate not only into increased awareness, but also into real changes in everyday behaviour. Seventy-five percent of all Poles have had enough of empty discussions and expect real action while being aware that their effects depend mainly on legal solutions and how corporations operate. Poles support such ideas as deposits for returnable plastic bottles, fines for food producers for utilizing and wasting unsold products, a total ban on the production, sale and use of plastic bags, moving away from coal to RES (Renewable Energy Systems) or significant restrictions on cars entering city centres while improving the efficiency of public transport and reducing ticket prices (the “Earthlings Attack!” report).
Corporate ESG activities in the eyes of consumers
The average Pole is not yet aware of what corporate ESG activities are and what they consist of, and the acronym itself is enigmatic and meaningless to them. Interest in the standards a given organization meets in this respect also depends on the profile of the company’s activities – consumers undoubtedly require more transparency from manufacturers of food and cosmetics (because it is a matter of our health and safety) than from manufacturers of heavy construction equipment or ships (which the average person does not think about at all on a day to day basis). Similarly, in the context of the relevance of particular actions, changes related to environmental impact are more publicized and have a more direct impact on the quality of everyone’s life than, for example, corporate governance.
This change is a slow and gradual process, it is difficult and gives rise to reservations, and depends on many factors – but its direction is clear – the consumers’ awareness and their expectations that manufacturers will change in line with contemporary needs will grow and will increasingly translate into choices and purchase decisions.
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