More than Three-Quarters of Americans Say Next President Should Speed Up Adoption of Renewable Energy
September 13 2016 - 11:30AM
Business Wire
Public Opinion Split over Whether Elected
Leaders Fully Understand Fossil Fuel Costs
- The 2016 G&S Business
Communications Sense & Sustainability® Study is the firm’s
seventh annual survey of U.S. adults about their perceptions of the
corporate commitment to environmental and social
responsibility.
- Seventy-eight percent say the next U.S.
president should prioritize the country’s faster adoption of
renewable energy
- Americans are divided over the issue of
elected officials and the extent of their knowledge about fossil
fuel costs.
As Americans count down to Election Day, more than
three-quarters (78 percent) believe the winner of the presidential
race should prioritize the faster adoption of renewable energy,
according to the seventh annual Sense & Sustainability® Study
released today by G&S Business Communications (G&S).
G&S is a global business communications firm with expertise in
corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainability for
advanced manufacturing, agribusiness and food, clean technology and
energy, financial and business services, and home and building
solutions industries. The G&S Sense & Sustainability Study
was conducted online by Harris Poll in August 2016 among 2,007 U.S.
adults.
Despite strong public sentiment favoring the next president’s
focus on renewables, the G&S study found that American opinion
is practically split when it comes to elected leaders and their
understanding of the costs associated with fossil fuels. More than
half (52 percent) disagree, as compared to 48 percent who agree,
that elected officials are well informed about fossil energy’s
total costs, among them the effects of air pollution on healthcare
and the impact of climate change on property insurance.
Public uncertainty about elected leaders does not appear to have
discouraged the view that government can play a key role in
creating advantages for consumers with a marketplace that allows
for broader competition among suppliers of electric power. More
than 4 in 5 Americans (85 percent) believe customers benefit from
having alternatives to conventional power utilities, such as
distributed energy resources that include rooftop solar and wind.
In addition, more than three-quarters (77 percent) say government
regulators should develop a pricing model that ensures utility
companies pay for excess power supplied to the grid by smaller
scale, independently owned device operators.
Americans believe the advantages of market competition may go
beyond cost savings. More than two-thirds (68 percent) feel it is
more important to have a resilient power grid than to enjoy lower
electricity costs.
“Even the contentious nature of this year’s presidential
campaign could not distract Americans from recognizing the
importance of renewable energy to future economic growth and their
own personal well-being,” said Ron Loch, G&S managing director
and sustainability consulting leader. “It’s clear that public
interest is served when there are discussions about the broader
financial impact of fossil energy and the need to improve both
energy efficiency and the infrastructure investment required to
build a resilient power grid. Industry, government and civil
society can better educate and engage by communicating about
environmental and social responsibility in ways that tie back to
stakeholders’ interests in choice, flexibility and security.”
Targeted communications may help stem the rising number of
Americans who choose to be uninformed about corporate
sustainability or social responsibility. More than one-quarter of
Americans (27 percent) in 2016 do not use any sources to learn
about business efforts to promote environmentally or socially
responsible practices or products, up from the previous two years
(25 percent in 2015 and 20 percent in 2014).
Among the sources Americans rely upon to learn about corporate
commitments to “going green,” the news media remains the most
popular for the third year in a row (50 percent in 2016, 54 percent
in 2015 and 57 percent in 2014).
Key findings from the study include the following:
- Americans voice strong support for
raising the priority of renewables on the White House agenda.
More than three-quarters of Americans (78 percent) believe the next
president should dedicate more attention to speeding up renewable
energy adoption. Among issues ranked most influential on
accelerating use of renewable energy, cost savings from energy
efficiency was cited most often (26 percent), followed by energy
security (23 percent) and cost to taxpayers for government
incentives (19 percent).
- U.S. opinions appear divided when it
comes to elected officials and their understanding of the broader
financial impact of fossil energy dependence. More than half
(52 percent) disagree, as compared to 48 percent who agree, that
elected leaders are well informed about both direct costs and
externalities, including power plant financing and operations,
effect of air pollution on healthcare and impact of climate change
on property insurance. Regionally, Americans in the Midwest (59
percent) are more likely than those in the Northeast (49 percent)
and in the South (47 percent) to disagree that elected officials
comprehend the full costs associated with fossil energy.
- Americans can see the benefits of a
more resilient power grid and increased competition among power
suppliers. More than two-thirds (68 percent) feel it is more
important to have a resilient power grid than to have lower
electricity costs. In addition, 85 percent recognize the advantage
for customers in having alternatives to conventional electric
utilities, and 77 percent believe government regulations should
make sure utilities pay for excess power independently supplied to
the grid by distributed energy resources.
- For the third consecutive year, the
news media remains the top source for Americans to learn about the
sustainability efforts of businesses, but there is an
increasing trend among those who stay uninformed. For the third
year running, Americans say they turn to the news media for
information about CSR and environmental sustainability (50 percent
in 2016, 54 percent in 2015 and 57 percent in 2014). More than
one-quarter (27 percent) do not rely on any sources to learn about
environmentally and socially responsible practices among
businesses, an increase from 25 percent in 2015 and 20 percent in
2014.
- Reliance on advertising and personal
contacts for CSR news is dwindling. Advertisements continue to
experience the greatest decline, dropping in 2016 to 21 percent as
compared to 27 percent in 2015 and 37 percent in 2014. Also notable
is the downturn in use of word-of-mouth sources such as family and
friends, which fell to 34 percent in 2016, as compared to 40
percent in 2015 and 41 percent in 2014.
- For the second year in a row, the
same three industries of agriculture, food and beverage, and energy
lead with positive reputations for sustainability while
manufacturing, leisure services and transportation lag again.
Among the industries measured, Americans ranked agriculture (45
percent in 2016 vs. 47 percent in 2015); food and beverage (40
percent in 2016 vs. 36 percent in 2015); and energy (37 percent in
2016 vs. 40 percent in 2015), in the top three with the best
reputations for environmental and social responsibility. In
comparison, the industries that were ranked lowest, meaning those
who were cited least often among the top three best sustainability
reputations, are: Leisure services, which include hotels, cruise
lines, casinos and restaurants (18 percent in 2016 vs. 17 percent
in 2015); transportation, which includes vehicle manufacturers,
airlines, rail, infrastructure and logistics (17 percent in 2016
vs. 19 percent in 2015); and manufacturing (16 percent in 2016 vs.
14 percent in 2015).
G&S has a long-established communications record in
sustainability consulting, corporate social responsibility, and
successfully launching and guiding the growth of green products,
technologies and practices. The firm counsels a growing number of
clients to help them align sustainability to their corporate
strategies, produce compelling sustainability reports, and engage
key stakeholders in constructive dialogue.
To obtain a summary of the G&S Sense & Sustainability®
Study, please visit the company’s website.
About G&S Business Communications
G&S Business Communications is an independent business
communications firm with headquarters in New York and offices in
Chicago, Raleigh, N.C., and Basel, Switzerland. The firm’s global
network extends across more than 50 countries through its PROI
Worldwide partnership. G&S integrates business and
communications strategies, using a full range of communications
services, to build sustainable relationships for clients along the
entire value chain. We inspire action that drives results. For more
information, please visit www.gscommunications.com.
About the G&S Sense & Sustainability®
Study
The 2016 G&S Sense & Sustainability Study is the firm’s
seventh annual survey of U.S. adults about business efforts to
improve society and the environment through sustainable practices,
products, or services. The survey was fielded on behalf of G&S
by Harris Poll. The 2016 study was conducted online within the
United States between August 4 and 8, 2016 via the QuickQuery
online omnibus product among 2,007 U.S. adults ages 18 and older.
The 2015 study was conducted online within the United States
between April 14 and 16, 2015 among 2,055 U.S. adults ages 18 and
older. The 2014 study was conducted online between January 9-13,
2014 among 2,039 U.S. adults ages 18 and older. No estimate of
theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey
methodology, including weighting variables, please contact Mary C.
Buhay.
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G&S Business CommunicationsMary C. Buhay,
212-697-2600mbuhay@gscommunications.com