Q: What’s in your wallet? A: Power...

Think green consumerism’s the latest thing? Well, we’ve been here before. Back in 1988, the million-selling Green Consumer Guide helped sweep aerosols off a thousand supermarket shelves. Then it all went a bit quiet. So what’s different this time round? And will it last? Julia Hailes, co-author of the original eco-shopper’s bible, has some answers

When The Green Consumer Guide first came out, I was filmed going round a supermarket, picking out products with a green story to tell. There wasn’t a lot to choose from. Just the odd phosphate-free washing powder, non-chlorine bleached nappies, and ranks of ‘ozone-friendly’ hairsprays.

Now it’s difficult to find anything on sale which hasn’t undergone an environmental makeover - whether it’s cars, coffee or coffins; paints, plastic bags or printers.

A lot has happened in 20 years - but there’s one constant: the power of consumers to drive change simply by making informed choices over what they buy. In the ’80s, pocket power helped push governments into action on the ozone layer. Aerosol products not labelled as ‘ozone-friendly’ were boycotted, fridge manufacturers were challenged about the coolants they used and companies like McDonalds felt obliged to specify ‘no CFCs’ in their foam packaging. Legislation followed - faster and more sweeping than anyone would have predicted a few years previously.

Now the focus is on climate change, which has pretty well knocked all other environmental concerns out of the window. Compared to what turned out to be the relatively easy job of banning CFCs, tackling global warming is a massive challenge. So is consumer power up to the job? I think it’s absolutely key. OK, so making changes at an individual level can seem very trivial. For example, switching to energy-efficient light bulbs or turning off your TV rather than leaving it on standby will save a relatively small amount of electricity. But if you work out how much is saved by everyone in the country making these changes, it’s huge.

Even more important is the impact of our consumer actions on business and government. I recently carried out a survey of supermarkets for The New Green Consumer Guide, and found that they were falling over themselves to demonstrate their green credentials. In the last few months alone, we’ve seen both Marks & Spencer and Tesco announce substantial new investments in environmental initiatives. I don’t think they’d be doing this if their customers didn’t give a toss.

I’ve been challenged by other environmentalists, who say that government initiatives are the only way we could possibly make the radical cuts in carbon emissions that we need. I disagree with this approach. Not because I don’t think government has an important role to play, but because I don’t think they’ll do anything unless they believe that the voting public will support them.

Having said that, I do think the government should be doing far more than they are. Perhaps rather cynically, I wonder if they botched up raising airport tax early in 2007 because they wanted to demonstrate how difficult it is to implement ‘green’ taxes. The same could be said with road pricing, which has managed to really infuriate people about privacy issues, while blinding them to the benefits of reducing congestion. Then there’s the chaos of the grant system. When I applied for a grant to insulate my loft, I discovered that I wouldn’t be eligible if I used ‘environmentally friendly’ materials such as sheep’s wool or recycled newspaper. How mad is that?

But the government will only really find the will to sort this all out if they feel pushed by the voters to do so. If we’re not prepared to act at an individual level and make some sacrifices in our lifestyle, why would we vote for a government planning to impose drastic measures to curb consumption? If we don’t demonstrate that we can live with a lighter carbon footprint, what hope would there be for success with initiatives like personal carbon quotas?

A lot of these issues are complicated, but once we understand them there are some very powerful choices we can all make.

Green consumerism: past, present and future. 

The big issues Consumer concerns	1988        Ozone hole •Detergents (biodegradability) •Nappies (non-chlorine  bleaching) •Aerosols (ozone-friendly) • Petrol (unleaded)	2007        Climate change • Standby buttons • Light bulbs (energy-efficient) • Microgen (renewable      energy at home) • Food miles • Air travel • Hybrid cars • Packaging • Fashion	2020        Climate refugees • Funerals • Second homes • Bio-methane cars • Hydrogen fuels • Super-insulated houses • LED light bulbs • Intelligent metering • Hemp for a huge range    of products • Fish and meat become luxury goods
Key challenge	Linking products with environment	Choosing the best from a range of ‘green’ options	Significantly cutting carbon footprint - even at the price of some hardship
Leading questions	Are companies just jumping on the bandwagon?	Does it make a difference what we do here, given the scale of impact in China?	How can we reduce population growth?
Supermarket stance	Just waking up to green issues	Fierce competition on green initiatives; substantial investments being made	Choice editing: which products and services shops will not sell
Green giants	Body Shop, Ecover	Green is a mainstream issue for most companies, as well for as a host of smaller players pushing the boundaries	No company will have a licence to operate without strong environmental policies
Food: organics	Small niche market only for the committed	Available in all supermarkets and growing year on year	Backlash against organic triggered by lower yields and greater land-take; but a move towards eco-system agriculture.
Food: local	More local shops but less local produce	More supermarkets, but also more farmers’ markets, box schemes and local sourcing	Strong local food network alongside centralised supermarkets
On the money	‘Ethical investment’ limited to screening out companies involved with gambling, alcohol, arms, tobacco...	‘Socially responsible’ investment increasingly focused on opportunities rather than problems - in green energy, waste management, transport, etc	Environmental concerns on a par with financial ones in all investment decisions

Julia Hailes (www.juliahailes.com) is an environmental consultant and author of ‘The New Green Consumer Guide’, published in May by Simon & Schuster.

3 May 2007

Julia Hailes