HEALTH, COST AND CONVENIENCE KEY MOTORISTS OF CHANGE
The second OCBC Climate Index discovered that the majority of Singaporeans are still not embracing a lot of sustainable behaviours.
Respondents who embrace sustainable behaviours are usually motivated by individual practical benefits, like health, cost plus convenience, and not for your environment, OCBC stated.
Despite forty seven per cent of respondents indicating that they wish to live a lasting life for a healthier future, more are usually engaging in carbon-intensive behaviour such as using air-conditioning since the main mode of cooling their homes and buying brand new, non-essential items more often than once a month, as compared to 2021.
Those who do not engage in carbon-intensive behaviours are “not necessarily embracing weather action for environment reasons”, OCBC stated.
“Rather, the causes for their choices are usually personal and include wanting to have better wellness, save money and personal comfort and ease. ”
These types of motivations are leading people to walk, cycle or take open public transport instead of travelling by car, purchase second-hand furniture and participate in ‘urban farming’ initiatives, OCBC noted.
The nationwide average score just for 2022 of 6. 7 was unrevised from 2021.
This year, having much better health and aquiring a cleaner and greener environment were both reasons for respondents for wanting to live a sustainable life, at 47 per cent.
Cost and hassle were cited because the main obstacles to living a sustainable life.
“Thus, the desires to need more sustainable entire world have not tilted the Index score this season as personal useful reasons continue to generate real actions, ” said OCBC.
Although the overall rating remained the same as this past year, Ms Koh Ching, Mind of Group Brand name and Communications at OCBC Bank noted that this year’s study results showed a lot more Singaporeans want to make a more sustainable planet but find it difficult to associated with real change launched expensive or not convenient.
Ms Jessica Cheam, founder and managing director of Eco-Business also observed that while the results might be discouraging at first glance, there are “bright spots” in the results that indicate improvements, such as in transport choice or in adopting re-commerce.
In the inaugural edition, the particular OCBC Climate Index in 2020 found that higher awareness of environmental issues did not reflect on use of green methods.