Willemijn van Dolen | Why we all want to be sustainable, but do the direct opposite
The first column of our new columnist Willemijn van Dolen, professor of marketing, is about sustainability. Because why, if we are all so eager to be sustainable, do we all take the plane instead of the train?
There's no denying it: sustainability is on consumers' minds everywhere. The climate, the environment, and pollution are central themes in brand communication. They attract our attention with catchy slogans like “Cut the cup crap” for biodegradable coffee cups, “The Good Night Train” for a new railroad company, “Buy less, demand more” for a clothing brand that wants to save the planet, and the “Better to Let Live” seal of approval for a seaweed burger, “The best on the planet, for the planet.”
Companies try to encourage us to make different choices to save the planet with campaigns and products. Policymakers also call on citizens to behave more sustainably. “A better environment starts with you” was already a slogan 30 years ago. And the government recently launched a campaign called “Flip the Switch” to reduce CO2 emissions. “We need to take even bigger steps. For now and later. For ourselves and for the climate. Together we can flip the switch. Do your part.”
You would think this would catch on. After all, recent surveys show that many people are concerned about the climate and consider the environment and climate to be important. Last week, Milieu Centraal published its Sustainable Living Monitor with research showing that most Dutch people are open to sustainable living. But the report also shows that we do not always translate these intentions into concrete behavior. This begs the question: What is holding us back?
A lot of research is being done on this topic, but one major reason seems to be that as consumers we are exposed to a lot of mixed signals about sustainability. We are constantly called on to act sustainably, while at the same time, we are tempted to do the opposite.
Take for example the suggestion to take the train on vacation instead of flying, one of the concrete recommendations of the “Flip the switch” campaign. According to Milieu Centraal's monitor, this is a sweet spot. We are open to it and it actually helps, but we are not yet doing it en masse.
Why not? According to the report, the supply of train tickets is far too limited. On the one hand, the signal is, “Take the train instead of the plane for a change,” but when you enthusiastically set out to buy a ticket, it turns out that train tickets are in limited supply. Spontaneously taking the train to southern Europe is difficult, too, as the Eurostar is often fully booked. But a plane ticket to Nice is easily booked.
There are other signals at odds with the “Take the train” message, too. We read about subsidies for air travel, but booking train tickets is tricky and they often cost more. At the same time, companies entice us to book air travel that is readily available, easy to book, and cheaper.
These mixed signals are confusing and hold us back. Most people are concerned about the climate but also value other things such as status, comfort, and price. Not surprisingly, our “green” values land on the back burner when other values are being promoted aggressively.
Of course, innovations such as biodegradable cups, new railroad companies, more sustainably produced clothing, and meat alternatives do help facilitate behavioral change. And train travel can be fun! But it is unrealistic to expect people to change en masse when their environment sends so many mixed signals. If we really want to flip the switch, government and business must not only call for different behavior but also make that behavior possible, easier, and cheaper.
