An overwhelming 94 per cent of Canadians say newspapers should be published on environmentally friendly paper, according to a poll released by environmental publishing advocates Markets Initiative. The numbers show the importance of the environment for Canadians not only as a voting issue but also in their consumer choices.
“The numbers show that Canadian consumer choices involve a strong environmental component. That is not surprising as the environment could easily become a voting issue in the next federal election,” said Dr Michael Antecol, Vice President at POLLARA. “Given the trends I’m seeing, consumer attitudes regarding environmentally friendly papers not only have significant brand implications but also influence buying habits, particularly for young readers.”
Almost 70 per cent of the respondents said that they would have more confidence in the integrity of the newspaper publisher if they were to use environmentally-friendly paper. Three out of every four asserted that they would favour such newspapers. Close to 60 per cent even said they would not mind paying more for environmentally-friendly publications.
The poll also shows that among all age groups, readers between the ages of 18 and 34 find the most brand value in environmentally friendly publishers, including book, magazine and newspaper publishers. In addition, almost three quarters of young readers said they had more confidence in the integrity of environmentally friendly newspapers than others.
“It is clear that the Canadian public want the government and private sector to be doing more to protect our climate and environment,” said Nicole Rycroft, Executive Director of Markets Initiative. “This poll shows that consumers overwhelmingly want newspaper publishers, a massive paper consumer, to also do their part for the environment. More than 170 book publishers and magazines have already taken steps in this direction.” Markets Initiative works with Canadian publishing companies to conserve ancient and endangered forests by shifting their demand and supply of paper products to environmentally sound options.
The purpose of the study were to determine brand implications on book, newspaper and magazine publishers of using environmentally-friendly paper, and the effect on consumers’ buying habits using environmentally-friendly paper in books, newspapers and magazines. The poll has an error margin or +/- 2.2 per cent, and the data was collected between August 1 and August 8, 2006.
In recent months, the environment has consistently climbed in the polls to be the number one issue for Canadians across age groups. This poll shows that consumers have a clear preference for books, magazines and newspapers with a light ecological footprint. The use of low-carbon papers, such as recycled options, can reduce a publisher’s impact on both the climate and biodiversity.
The poll results come in the run-up to Market Initiatives’ new report – Trend Report 2007: Environmental Leadership in the Canadian Publishing Industry - about the measurable greenward shift that is taking place within Canada’s magazine, book and newspaper industries. The report will be released on Thursday, February 8, in Montreal.
