1. Get Going with Green Closing the Sustainability Gap

2. Ogilvy Earth is the global sustainability practice within the Ogilvy & Mather Group. We help brands harness the power of sustainability, through strategic planning and communications. We work with visionary companies that are looking to make sustainability a growth driver for both their business and the communities they serve.

3. There is a yawning gap between people’s claimed and actual sustainable behavior. At Ogilvy Earth, we call it the Sustainability Gap.

4. Claimed behavior 50% said they use renewable energy at home 38% said they used alternative automobile fuel 52% said they avoided using plastic bags Research by Landor Associates, 2008.

5. A problem with research Put the question in a survey, and respondents will tick the answers that make them look good. Claiming to be green is the politically correct thing to say.

6. When people claim they are green, it is because they already have the knowledge that they need to change their behaviors. They are concerned, but they feel powerless.

7. Whose responsibility? China’s green stimulus, announced in 2009, is simply the largest in the world, with USD 221 billion - 34% of the total stimulus package - committed until 2020. Quantitative study amongst 1300 respondents across China.

8. Whose responsibility? China’s green stimulus, announced in 2009, is simply the largest in the world, with USD 221 billion - 34% of the total stimulus package - committed until 2020. Quantitative study amongst 1300 respondents across China.

9. A focus on compliance, cost & image 84% companies said that environment protection is important to them because it is a legal requirement 79% said it was a brand image necessity Only 19% said they were promoting the sales of environment friendly products Chinese companies in the 21st century, A survey of Social Responsibility & Sustainability of Chinese companies, Worldwide Fund for Nature, April 2010

10. 53% of our respondents said that the green options in the marketplace were too expensive.

11. Regular Eco-friendly/ Organic 400 3200 Regular vs bamboo frame bicycle 27 138 3 kg of fresh vegetables 18-26 58 8 pack roll of toilet paper 300 750 Double occupancy per weekend night

12. A willingness to act 67% believe that their efforts did count 69% said that if environment friendly products were available at the same price point, they would purchase them Not entirely closed to the idea of paying a small premium 71% are happy to pay up to 10% more

13. Time & money as barriers If they had more time If they had more money 37% would ride a bike to work 27% would use cloth nappies 42% would save electricity 38% would hang clothes out to dry 29% would buy energy saving appliances 42% would buy eco-friendly detergents 45% would drive a hybrid / electric car

14. A sense of entitlement “We’re only beginning to enjoy the fruits of our prosperity, and you want us to stop?” 55% of our respondents are driven by convenience for their purchases Only 18.6% said they would limit consumption.

15. Official, formal discourse Accurate vocabulary played back School based, formal learning 40% learned about sustainability in school Showcases: Olympics, Expo These emphasize government role

16. Chinese consumers are confronted by an overload of claims and certifications that they feel they cannot trust.

17. The idealism of Green HeroesThe badge that the Eco-chic wear Creates a distance

18. But there’s hope.

19. The opportunity 90.7% believe that the sustainability movement is on the upswing 78% said they would rather be given guidelines on how to live a sustainable life & do it themselves, than it be legislated 80% would like to receive recognition from their peers for their positive green behaviors

20. We need ... easier pathways to embrace the sustainability opportunity. … greater recognition and positive reinforcement of good behaviors. … to come up with solutions together. …to assume greater responsibility for our actions.

21. The solutions lie in understanding the everyday lives of people.The answers are embedded in their overall consumption ethic.

22. 24 families and young individuals 3 cities Whilst engaging with the subjects, it became clear to us that no matter how ‘misguided’ or ‘skeptical’ an individual might be, there is still an opportunity to engage in a dialogue that favors sustainable behavior.

23. Flexible progressives Often with a background of deprivation Get a kick out of maximizing resources & efficiency Zhou, 38, and his wife Wang from Anhui.

24. Flexible progressives Use energy-saving light bulbs; have plants to ‘soak up the carbon’; do half their laundry by hand Proud of their green achievements, but do not feel the need to compare themselves with others Power shared equally at home Zhou, 38, and his wife Wang from Anhui.

25. Flexible progressives Arrival of their baby provoked a heightened consciousness of sustainability Willing to accept hand-me-down clothes from relatives Shop at local wet market: cheaper and fresher “A green lifestyle starts from individuals and families who want to make their environment green and sustainable, then the community and finally, the whole city.”

26. Heroes amongst us.Bring men & women equally into the discussion.Use critical moments in life, such as childbirth, to motivate action.

27. Ambitious futurists Enterprising, and problem-solvers Independent, DIY attitude: more from less Need approval from peers Influenced by pop culture ZouMingjun, 17 year old from Tianjin

28. Ambitious futurists Learned to optimize resources Digging into interests, creating an identity for themselves Environment sometimes conflated with health

29. Give them a stake in the future.Encourage & reward them for their enterprise.Sustainability as a smart strategy to overcome deprivation.

30. Active individualists Activists, stand behind their ideals Exhibit leadership; not afraid to correct others See no inconsistency between their ideals and the role of the government Derive satisfaction from organizing activities ShenLimin, 23 years, Tianjin

31. Active individualists Sometimes find it difficult to persuade older people (establishment?) to adopt sustainable behavior Aware of a long-term horizon Require the satisfaction of living out their dreams.

32. Ensure that their fragile ideals are sustained in practical action.Guard against idealism superseding effectiveness.

33. Ghetto rebels Yuan (top) and Sun (below), both 21 yrs old, Wuxi Pass on the blame : the problems and solutions lie with the rich Disaffected, feel very little agency Sustainability confused with civility, and health

34. Ghetto rebels Street cool creds, talented but not recognized Hoarders, due to economic hardship Friendship ties very important, as is ‘image’: ‘facing a world of adversity together’

35. Give the rebels a cause.Use their friendship ties, get them to act together.Counter the perception that sustainability is only for the rich.

36. Misguided materialists Avid consumers, driven by personal interests & comfort Green reducible to an aesthetic Unequal power equation between the genders A clear image of what constitutes a ‘good life’ GaoXudong, 28 yrs, with his family “China must ensure everyone has enough to eat first, before we can be too concerned about sustainability.”

37. Misguided materialists Su Liang & FeiJia, Wuxi The more, the better An irrational, but deep fear that wealth gained might be lost Most engagement with sustainability is symbolic Groping for answers

38. Address deep insecurities that lead to hoarding.Provide incentives for de-cluttering and sharing.Tackle the misperception that green is just an aesthetic.

39. Passive skeptics Very little motivation for anything; but can join community action Sustainability seen to be inconvenient Believe that policy enforcement is a problem (and if policies are enforced, things will be alright) Frugality means that they are sustainable in some respects Meng Lu, 23 yrs, and Wang Di, 20 yrs, both from Wuxi

40. Tap into public good drivers; using government communications.Emphasize their social role: e.g. get the elderly ‘community minders’ to promote compliance.

41. Prestige protectors Thrive on privileges of social & family connections Sustainability confused with China’s mission to impose form and order on the world Feel ‘forced to adapt’ to energy saving by rules & orders Believe that charities have more impact because they ‘are not associated with economic gain’. Chen Hui & Pan Yu (above); Yan Yajing (below)

42. Provoke change from within the establishment.Empower these individuals to embrace environmental behavior as a means to enhance their prestige.

43. Green is not only a reputation opportunity for corporations, rather it is a marketing opportunity in itself.

44. Future Pathways for Behavior Change Products, not policy Everyday, not just Earth Day Personal, not planet Incentive, not invective Mainstream, not model Choice, not constraint Conscious, not conspicuous Collaborate, not confront Pluralize, not polarize Dialogue, not decree

45. Mainstream, not model There are plenty of mainstream green behaviors that warrant active encouragement: Cycling, sleeping on straw mats in summer, carrying one’s own water flasks, etc. Rewarding these behaviors would encourage those who think sustainability is only for the wealthy or altruistic.

46. Products, not just policy Is there anything in your existing products and services that can be highlighted as being sustainable? Do manufacturing and / or transportation innovations result in less impact on the environment? If they do, tell your consumer. And then start innovating.

47. Everyday, not just Earth Day This is important to overcome the challenge of tokenism. We need innovation, not abstinence.

48. Personal, not planet If the world is to change for the better, it will be the result of decisions made by many individuals at a personal level. The arrival of a child is a critical juncture for nearly all Chinese families in adopting sustainable behaviors. 16,030,800 births per year in China = over 16 million opportunities to start a conversation around caring and sustainability !

49. Incentive, not invective Create incentives for both individual and community adoption. Solar heaters with toilets! Additional marks for spreading the word in your family!

50. Choice, not constraint Green creds of a brand can be a tie-breaker if the price is comparable. It’s important to offer the choice at the right time & place.

51. Dialogue, not decree When the engagement is based on compliance, all we do is follow the rules and forget about it. But we talk about brands all the time. Closing the sustainability gap calls for conversations. The chopstick forest got Beijing talking. No law banning disposable chopsticks was required.

52. Conscious, not conspicuous Create consciousness about a collective Chinese good: families ask themselves if they really need stuff? Can it be passed on? How do we systematize trash collection & recycling?

53. Collaborate, not Confront The green movement is beset with more confrontation than consensus . Partnerships can result in positive change. Collaboration will help realize the potential of China’s green technology market, estimated at USD 1 trillion per year. Green Long March : In the last four years, 40,000 volunteers have planted 2000 acres of forest land, and carried out over 200 green consulting projects.

54. Pluralize, not Polarize Sustainability divides people: the polluters against the victims; the eco-warriors and eco-chics versus the materialists. This polarization must stop. The harmonious society that China’s leaders are striving to create and foster should be about more than social and economic harmony: it must be as much about an ecological harmony.

55. OgilvyEarth believes that the world will be a better place if brands and corporations acted on the insights that Get Going with Green has uncovered.

56. To find out more about how to Get Going with Green in the United States, please visit our website:www.ogilvyearth.com

57. Research partner for Get Going with Green in China: For more information on Get Going with Green, please contact: KunalSinha – kunal.sinha@ogilvy.com or Hannah Lane – hannah.lane@ogilvy.com

58. Thank you.