We are at a turning point in history, in more ways than one. A growing wave of conscious consumerism is sweeping across global markets and appears to be here to stay.

Conscious consumers are people who care about the socio-environmental impact of their actions and purchases. It’s a group that consists of people of all ages, cultures and nationanlities but above all is driven in a large part by Gen Z and Millennials.

These generations have grown up with the knowledge that we live in a world at serious risk – whether from climate change, food and water scarcity, pollution, biodiversity loss and so on. They understand the issues and accept it is now their responsibly to somehow fix them.

They have also grown up in a digital world, comfortable wielding the power of social media to learn, converse, organise and act for causes they believe in.

Together with stalwarts from other generations, Gen Z and Millennials demand that businesses minimise the negative impact they have on people and planet and then go further to create positive change.

To remain relevant, brands need to understand and engage with this growing audience or eventually risk becoming obsolete.

What do conscious consumers want?

Conscious consumers care about a range of issues from human rights to concern for the planet. A recent Nielsen survey found that 81 percent of global respondents want businesses to take action to help improve the environment.

Such actions call for businesses to monitor the environmental footprint of production, ensure the use of sustainable materials, switch to minimal eco-friendly packaging and consider the afterlife of the product – can it be recycled, repaired or re-used by someone else?

This audience is not shy about taking brands to task to ensure their standards are met. The majority of consumers will stop buying from a brand if they believe the company’s values do not align with their own.

Conscious consumers will also criticise irresponsible brands on social media as a way to elicit better behaviour.

How can brands adapt?

Emirates Nature-WWF recently hosted a webinar, Purpose Drives Preference, to find out how leading brands from the region and beyond are embracing this shift to conscious consumerism.

Panellists from Unilever, The Body Shop and Spinneys shared their sustainability visions and achievements, and highlighted how their brands are already seeing positive results in terms of sales and customer satisfaction.

It was also heartening to see that 84 percent of our webinar attendees – marketers from around the region – agree that responsible consumerism enhances their brand’s value.

At Unilever, for instance, each brand has sustainability targets that prioritise lower environmental footprints and higher contributions to society. Brands that are achieving their targets are already benefiting from good growth.

Unilever’s sustainable brand portfolio grew 69 percent faster than the rest of its business, contributed to 75 percent of the company’s overall growth and saw two times the growth compared to other Unilever brands.

Unilever has seen an increase in conscious consumerism as a result of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and is redoubling its sustainability efforts to meet the needs of consumers and the planet. The company just announced an ambitious vision to eliminate fossil fuels in cleaning products by 2030.

The Body Shop is another company that continues to raise the bar for business sustainability. The company’s global fair trade programme ensures that products are sourced and produced responsibly, and that workers across its supply chain are paid a fair wage.

The company recently introduced fair trade recycled plastic packaging to the delight of its customers.

Through this initiative, The Body Shop addresses customer concerns around plastic waste and also contributes positively to marginalised communities of plastic pickers across South East Asia. Consumers have responded favourably with this initiative and the brand is witnessing a significant support online online.

Spinneys, meanwhile, is addressing consumer concerns around plastic and food waste while also contributing to the UAE’s national food security goal.

They have partnered with Emirates Nature-WWF on the rethink plastic initiative and also minimises waste across its own food production facilities and donates excess food to local charities.

The company recently launched a Local Business Incubator to support local food producers and help bring locally-produced food to its supermarket shelves.

How do these brands achieve so much?

These businesses did not get to this point overnight. Each started their sustainability journeys some time ago and built up their sustainability capabilities over time. In addition to time, it takes commitment, collaboration and innovation to change the way we operate.

Each of these brands talked about the role of partnerships in helping to achieve their sustainability strategy. From understanding global regulations, to shaping issue-specific policies and implementing initiatives on the ground, partnerships have a crucial role to play in creating the new sustainable world we all wish to live in.

What’s key to note is that we are all ready for change. If the pandemic has taught us anything, it is that we can change. Business can change. Systems and value chains can change. Human behaviour can change. And the pandemic has shown us we must.

Conscious consumerism is a win for all of us. It’s a win for people, for the planet and for the business. An investment in responsible consumerism today is an investment in the future your business and society.