- Our study shows marked differences in lifestyle habits across the UK
- Over half (55%) of Brits surveyed say they are living a conscious or sustainable life
- Londoners and those from the North East are most likely to consider their lifestyle sustainable, with those in Scotland and Yorkshire & Humberside least likely
- When it comes to why Brits don’t make more sustainable choices, 32% think they do enough already
Over half (55%) of the UK adults we spoke to, say they live sustainably, according to new research from Pru, part of M&G plc, with less than one fifth of them, 17%, admitting they do not. This suggests more and more of us are reappraising how we live and changing our habits in favour of a more sustainable lifestyle.
The research, which looks at the conscious decisions individuals make to positively impact society, found that Londoners (60%) and those living in the North-East (58%) are leading the sustainable lifestyle charge. Over half of those living in Wales (57%) and Scotland (52%) stated they also led sustainable lives, compared to less than half of those living in Yorkshire & Humberside (49%).
How conscious and sustainable is your region?
| London |
60% |
North East
|
58% |
| Wales |
57% |
| South West |
57% |
| Northern Ireland |
56% |
| West Midlands |
55% |
| East of England |
55% |
| North West |
55% |
| South East |
54% |
| East Midlands |
54% |
| Scotland |
52% |
| Yorkshire and Humberside |
49% |
We have teamed up with Ase Greenacre, Conscious Living advocate at MRT Consultants. Ase has been looking at our findings and commented: “Conscious living means purposeful living and considered actions. We include with this being mindful of your choices and decisions. Being cognisant and actively aware of what you do. What do you spend your money on? What do you invest in? Do you consider and pay attention to all living experiences, for yourself, as well as to others and to the planet? Every small decision and every small step counts. It all adds up to what you are doing on a day-to-day basis to live consciously, but also with a clear conscience that you are playing your part to keep all our lives sustainable.”
The research also examined specific actions people are taking to live more sustainably, including taking bags to the supermarket (67%), recycling (56%) and saving electricity (38%).
What Brits are doing to live more consciously/sustainably
- Taking a reusable bag to the supermarket – 67%
- Recycle – 56%
- Make a choice to save electricity, such as turning off the lights – 38%
- Holiday in the UK to reduce how much I fly – 19%
- Make a choice to save water, for example by taking shorter showers – 18%
- Walking or cycling instead of driving - 18%
- Make a choice to reduce the amount of packaging I use/waste I create - 17%
- Have a meal without meat – 11%
- Repair my clothes instead of replacing them – 10%
- Buying eco-friendly products. such as cleaning products – 8%
Interestingly, the research highlights the reasons why people don’t make more sustainable choices with almost a third, 32%, stating they “think they do enough already”. According to the findings, the older generations share this outlook more than the younger ones. Over half, 52%, of those aged 65 and over think they do enough, compared to just 14% of 18-24 year olds.
Catriona McInally, ESG investment expert at Pru, said: “Our research provides a compelling insight into how people throughout the UK lead their lives nowadays and paints an interesting picture of the choices we make when it comes to living sustainably. Following the recent report on climate change carried out by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, IPCC, we all need to take personal responsibility to redouble our efforts. Ultimately the collective impact we can have with our consumption, recycling and buying habits can have a huge impact over time, and really play a part in creating a better community and safeguarding the planet. This could be simple acts like cycling to work instead of taking the car or using less water.”
Pru undertook the research to better understand the shift in all our lives to become more conscious about how we live and the positive impact our decisions and choices can have in shaping better futures for all of us.