Reveal Marketing Research, in collaboration with Kaufland Romania, UniCredit Bank, and Valorem, conducted the second edition of the annual sustainability barometer, examining consumer behaviors and expectations concerning sustainability. The study aimed to track how these aspects evolved compared to a similar study conducted in September 2022.

Against the backdrop of socio-economic events in the past year, Romanians' concern for sustainability has decreased.

The results of the Reveal Marketing Research barometer show that in 2023, 36% of respondents consider sustainability an important issue for Romanians, a percentage decreasing by 27% compared to 2022.

The decline in the magnitude of sustainability concerns can be explained by the fact that economic or social issues over the past year have captured attention at the expense of sustainability issues.

Although the current level of knowledge and awareness of the importance of sustainability is high, with 85% of Romanians stating it is an interesting topic they think about, they tend to display a passive attitude towards actions supporting the cause.

Thus, 48% of Romanians declare occasional involvement in sustainable activities, with waste selective collection being the most frequent behavior, while only 15% state active involvement in various sustainable activities, with adults without partners standing out as the main supporters (20%).

7 out of 10 Romanians believe that investments in technological innovations will provide solutions to society's sustainability issues and shape a better future.

Among the most critical sustainability issues mentioned by respondents are air pollution, deforestation, waste pollution, the quality of mass-produced foods, and global warming.

Romanians believe that coordinated efforts from companies (75%), individuals (74%), and governments (71%) are necessary to reduce these threats and achieve significant changes.

It is essential to note that technological innovations are gaining popularity as a method that can bring about changes in sustainability issues, registering a significant increase from 63% in 2022 to 69% in 2023.

Regarding trust in technological innovations, it is also very high, with 72% of respondents stating that they have the ability to bring significant solutions to current sustainability issues.

Measuring the level of sustainability in various activity sectors, the IT industry is perceived by Romanians as the third most sustainable industry (25%), after the energy industry (34%) and the food and beverage industry (27%).

In theory, consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the need to save the planet's resources; in practice, 28% of Romanians try to consume as sustainably as possible.

Overall, Romanians show a low willingness to consume sustainably, with more than half of them (57%) stating that they occasionally think about sustainability but have not yet considered consuming sustainably.

On the other hand, for 28% of Romanians, sustainable behavior is a constant concern, as they strive to consume as sustainably as possible, especially women (35% vs. 20% men), pensioners (43%), and modern families (37%).

Turning our attention to the most important features in choosing a product, we observe that the main factors influencing purchasing decisions are affordable price (84%), attention to natural ingredients (81%), responsible manufacturing (74%), production without affecting the environment (73%), and proximity (73%). As a general trend, all these characteristics have increased in importance by at least 5% compared to the previous year.

Marius Luican, CEO of Reveal Marketing Research, stated:

"Currently, we are witnessing the phenomenon of passive non-involvement regarding the topic of sustainability among Romanians. It is undeniable that the level of awareness of the need to protect the planet's resources is increasing. Consumers support sustainability but are not actively involved enough, and consequently, they do not change their behavior in everyday life.

This discrepancy can be explained by socio-economic events in the recent period, such as economic instability or job-related concerns, which lead Romanians to focus their attention on immediate needs, at the expense of long-term concerns such as sustainability."

Romanians want more involvement from companies in sustainable initiatives, especially by encouraging recycling.

Regarding actions by companies that have the greatest potential to encourage (more) responsible consumer behavior, these include encouraging recycling (19%), educating the population by promoting sustainability (11%), or using eco-friendly packaging/materials (10%).

The importance attached to recycling is high among Romanians, with 63% believing that recycling all recyclable materials is the most urgent sustainability issue to be addressed in the next 5 years.

Moreover, 57% of Romanians believe that within a maximum of 5 years, companies should be taxed based on the carbon footprint they emit, so they become more active in trying to reduce pollution.