Indian consumers are most eco-friendly: survey

NEW DELHI, INDIA: Though there are many environmental concerns that haunt India,  Indian consumers are the most eco-friendly, says a 17-country survey.

Released on the eve of the World Environment Day, 'Greendex 2010: Consumer Choice and the Environment-A Worldwide Tracking Survey', done by the National Geographic Society and the polling firm GlobeScan, says  India has the most sustainable consumption pattern.

Americans rated last for sustainable lifestyles, followed by Canadian and French consumers. The survey is a comprehensive measure of consumer behavior in 65 areas relating to housing, transportation, food and consumer goods.

Greendex 2010 ranks average consumers in 17 countries according to the environmental impact of their consumption patterns and is the only survey of its kind. It said over the past two years, Indians have shown increasing environmentally friendly behaviour.

Talking about the motive behind the study, National Geographic said, "We want to inspire action both among the millions that the National Geographic brand touches worldwide, and among others who will hear about this study. A chief component of this effort is giving people a better idea of how consumers in different countries are doing in taking action to preserve our planet by tracking, reporting, and promoting environmentally sustainable consumption and citizen behavior."

This quantitative consumer study asked 17,000 consumers about such behavior as energy use and conservation, transportation choices, food sources, the relative use of green products versus traditional products, attitudes towards the environment and sustainability, and knowledge of environmental issues.

In the present survey India scored 62.6 points in the overall green index to retain top rank. Brazil (58) came second, followed by China (57.3). The US finished last with a score of 45.