Do you know how to segment eco-evangelists from those who have no interest in green issues . . . and to map where they live? You do now.

Global information provider Experian has launched GreenAware, an accurate measure to map the relationship between household carbon emissions and green behaviours in the UK.   

The result of a unique collaboration between Experian and the Stockholm Environment Institute, GreenAware combines the latter’s expertise in carbon footprinting with Experian’s consumer insight and is designed to help organisations in the public, commercial and not-for-profit sectors improve how they communicate and deliver specific CO2 and energy efficiency initiatives.   

GreenAware includes Green Segments, Experian’s new green attitudinal classification. It classifies the UK population into ten distinct groups according to attitude to and understanding of the environment and climate change. Each group can be mapped across the UK at individual, household and postcode level. Among the ten Green Segments are Eco-Evangelists (people most likely to support ‘green’ causes and who believe in the power of consumer action to make a difference to climate change); and Wasteful & Unconvinced (people who have no interest in changing lifestyles and are more wasteful as a result).

By combining the Stockholm Environment Institute’s carbon footprint measures with Green Segments, Experian says GreenAware will provide organisations with the insight to create more effective green communications and in the public sector to help set realistic CO2 reduction targets and benchmarks at a local level.

GreenAware’s analysis highlights the complexity of green behaviour in the UK: Analysis of postal sectors shows that the inhabitants of Rickmansworth have the largest carbon footprint per household. Averaging across local authorities are Chiltern, South Bucks and Surrey Heath, with the largest average household carbon footprint.

The local authorities with the households with the smallest carbon footprints are Sunderland, Middlesbrough and Barking & Dagenham. However, although the least polluting, these areas also contain some of the highest numbers of Wasteful and Unconvinced consumers.

The most affluent areas contain the most Eco-Evangelists, people most likely to support green causes and make a difference to climate change. However, these areas also include some of the highest polluters.
 

Dr John Barnett, from the Stockholm Environment Institute, said: “GreenAware provides the evidence necessary for more effective action on climate control and for promotion of low carbon living. It enables us to accurately model levels of emissions at a household level as well as providing insight into different people’s attitudes to the environment.”

Peter Cummings at Experian said: “GreenAware offers a range of practical applications for organisations including person, household, postcode, geographic area-level targeting, area profiling and reporting, area ranking, benchmarking, catchment definition and mapping. This personalised approach provides the means for organisations – from all sectors – to communicate with different groups using specific measures and incentives. It also enables public sector organisations to set realistic CO2 reduction targets tailored for different segments of the population.

“GreenAware will help all organisations – public and private – understand consumer behaviour better and help more people go green.”

GreenAware uses Green Segments, Experian’s new attitudinal classification. Green Segments defines the UK population into ten distinct groups according to attitudes to the environment. Each group can be mapped at individual, household and postcode level. They are:

• Eco-Evangelists – a conviction of green beliefs and eco-friendly behaviours are let down by a reluctance to give up their accustomed lifestyles. 
• Convinced Consumers – there is a strong willingness to change behaviours and a high awareness of green concepts, although convenience is often an issue. 
  
• Green but doubtful – despite being well informed they remain unconvinced about green issues, although they are surprisingly responsible with their behaviours. 
• Confused but well-behaved – these have an extreme concern for climate change and are willing to demonstrate green behaviours, but are held back by a lack of information. 
• Doing their Best – these are concerned about environmental issues despite a lack of information, they would enact more if not for the perceived high costs involved. 
• Sceptical Libertarians – believe that they are contributing, but have scepticism of ecological arguments meaning that their primary motivation is to save money. 
• Too Busy to Change – have a relatively high level of knowledge but is financial incentives that encourage their moderate efforts. 
• Why Should I Bother? – their lack of strong opinions and limited knowledge has led to them being eco-villains, who would respond only through compulsion and incentives. 
• Constrained by Price – these have an inclination to do more but demonstrate a lack of green behaviours, dependent on an extreme lack of finances and information. 
• Wasteful & Unconvinced – these have a disposable and wasteful attitude, fuelled by a lack of education, limited finances and a reluctance to give up their lifestyle.