[The Vector] WHY ARE THE CHINESE GREEN BEHAVIORS LIGHT-YEARS AHEAD?
Following up on my report in The Vector on the OgilvyEarth report, “Mainstream Green: Moving Sustainability from Niche to Normal”, I found one section deserving of focus on its own.
In the study, the authors examined green behaviors of the general U.S. and China populations. As the two largest global consumers, actions in China and the U.S. have the most impact globally. The comparisons are fascinating – and somewhat discouraging.
According to the Ogilvy study, 66% of Americans are in the “middle green” category. China does not have this middle ground, as seen in the chart below. 48% are in the “super green” category as opposed to 16% in the U.S. Only 2% of the Chinese population falls into the “green rejectors” category as opposed to 18% of our population. The report concludes that in China, green is already the mainstream and is already the norm. The U.S. needs to get there.
Courtesy OgilvyEarth
Saying and Doing
While two-thirds of Americans say it is important to take public transport, walk or ride bikes to work or school, less than one-third do so. In China, 93% say it is important and 84% of them practice what they preach.
81% of Americans say it is important to buy local food but only 49% do. In China, 78% say it is important and 71% do buy local foods.
In the Ogilvy study, 70% of Americans said they would prefer to cure cancer rather than save the environment. In China, the results were reversed! 78% of Chinese said saving the environment was more important than curing cancer, if choosing between the two. Americans see the ravages of cancer up close and fear it. Americans generally drink clean water and breathe relatively clean air, which we find normal. However, in China, fouled rivers, polluted air and environmental issues became far more personal to them and there were no controls in place for protection. People were dying from the environment around them. In China, environmental issues equal health, and so they have become highly motivated and sensitized in their green choices.
The authors of the report examined the major reasons why the Chinese are greener. There is no question that infrastructure and government account for some of this, but the research found other reasons:
1) Environmental issues directly affecting health, as mentioned above.
2) Environmental issues equate to prosperity. Economic development is China’s highest priority, and environmental action comes with it. Its $586 billion stimulus package for green sustainability and other economic actions are transforming its economy. China has a renewable energy policy that is updated every 5 years. The country offers economic growth, stimulus, jobs and long-term planning. In contrast, many U.S. politicians make green the enemy of economic recovery and have never yet come through with long-term plans and policies to support the economic growth.
3) Leadership and politics. Still contending with pollution from coal and fossil fuels, for instance, greenhouse gas emissions are indeed slowing in China due to its focus and governmental policies. In contrast, says the Oglivy report, many players in one major U.S. party deny that climate change even exists. Chinese leadership from the top, for better or worse, has made a great difference. It has prioritized energy and environmental action, and there is not the same party system that can paralyze action. The trade-off is that some ordinary citizens and corporations lose some of their freedoms and have less say in China.
4) Power and Obligation of Government and the Individual. A majority of Chinese believe that government not only has the power to make changes but the obligation to do so, compared only to 20% of Americans. Americans think that the individual has the power to effect change, but they distribute obligation among government, individuals and corporations. While the Chinese think that government is obligated, they also say that individual action is important.
Sadly but not surprising considering the current U.S. political paralysis, American consumers think the individual is doing all of the heavy lifting and the efforts that in the end make no difference. When asked if they feel their green efforts amount to nothing, only 12% of Chinese agreed while 44% of Americans agreed with the statement.
5) Cultural Reinforcement.
In China, the importance of harmony is rooted deep in the philosophical and religious thoughts. Confuciousism, Buddism and Taoism all believe at the core that humans must live in harmony with nature, and this balance is important to daily life. The report also cites Feng Shui, which in part balances energy in buildings and spaces, as a way of life in China. These core beliefs reinforce daily choices and actions.
6) Consumerism.
Many Chinese, especially those born prior to the 1980s, are used to prudence and conservatism and were naturals for adopting sustainable behaviors. Economic circumstances led many to green by default, says the report. Scarcity has been very real to many. In the U.S., a majority rarely know or remember the same kind of scarcity of food or products. The majority of Americans have plenty (or access to plenty) and are true consumers, and the true majority have not adopted green behaviors.
However, as the Chinese economy grows and ages, and more will grow not knowing the same scarcity as their parents, will a Green Gap grow? Probably not, due to the other points above, but time will tell.
