High increase in awareness of ESG aspects among Poles, but still far from world leader
Poland has seen a significant increase in public awareness of the value of sustainable development (ESG). 36% of Poles admit that they have at least heard of ESG aspects, a jump of seven percent from the previous year’s survey. However, we are still well below the global average of 53% in the ESG Monitor 2023 survey. In Hong Kong, which tops the list, public awareness of ESG aspects is as high as 85%.
The SEC Newgate ESG Monitor is a global survey of more than twelve thousand respondents from 12 countries. This is the third edition of the report and the second in which Poland was included in the survey. The main objective of the report is to monitor awareness and interest in ESG issues, particularly in the context of consumer behavior, their perceptions of the actions of governments and companies, and attitudes and activism on ESG issues.
Still, the majority of Poles are of the opinion that actions in the country are not going in the right direction, and 71% of respondents even believe that changes are taking a wrong turn. On the plus side, however, it can be noted that last year this figure was even higher at 82%. Only 29% of respondents believe that things in Poland are going in the right direction. In this aspect, we are also far from the world leader (98% United Arab Emirates) and from the average (49%). However, we are ahead of France (27%) and the UK (26%).
Of all the 26 sustainability issues, the main concern for Polish society, as in the previous year, is the rising cost of living. In the latest edition, 36% of respondents answered this, 5% less than in the 2022 survey. On the other hand, the issue of universally available and high-quality healthcare has gained (33%). The importance of strengthening the local economy slipped to third place, with a 2% drop. Interestingly, in the global survey, all 12 countries had exactly the same values on the podium.
The SEC Negwate ESG Monitor survey showed that almost 7 in 10 consumers globally (68%) agree that companies should be more transparent in communicating their ESG performance to consumers and investors, and a similar number (69%) want this information to be communicated in a consistent manner to make the data easier to understand.
Despite the high level of interest in ESG issues, very few respondents (6%) say they often seek information about a company’s ESG activities or performance, and 89% say they do not or are not sure they trust what a business says about its sustainability activities and performance.
“It is clear from our research that consumer expectations have changed and the community expects corporations to think about their impact on the planet. Employers will also need to observe and respond to generational and societal shifts when communicating ESG issues. The good news, on the other hand, is that understanding of ESG measures continues to grow, and there are now a number of organizations that companies can partner with to increase their sustainability competency and communicate in a more accessible way,” said Fiorenzo Tagliabue, CEO of SEC Newgate Group.
More than 12,000 respondents from 12 countries around the world took part in this year’s ESG Monitor survey. In addition to the Polish market, the project also surveyed public perceptions of ESG values in Australia, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Colombia, Italy, the United Kingdom, Singapore, the United States and the United Arab Emirates.
Link to download the report: https://secnewgate.com/esg-monitor/reports/
