About the Study

Methodology

There are four major components to this study:

1. Qualitative survey of experts
2. 17-country quantitative survey
3. Greendex calculations
4. Market Basket

Qualitative Survey of Experts

The original 2008 survey questionnaire, much of which was used for tracking purposes in 2009 and 2010, was developed based in part on a qualitative survey of experts addressing what they believe are important actions for individuals to take in terms of sustainable consumption. These experts are professionals who have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to advancing global sustainability in their positions as leaders of relevant sustainable development organizations—typically think tanks, academic research institutions, major NGOs and consultancies. A number of panelists representing the private sector were also included. Potential respondents were identified from GlobeScan's network of colleagues and clients, and the firm's database of expert sustainability practitioners, as well as National Geographic's own network of scientific experts. Panelists were categorized as associated mainly with environment-related science, social science, or business, and divided by region (North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Central & South America). Interviews were conducted by telephone, although a small number of interviews were completed electronically to facilitate communication across time zones and language barriers. The interviews took place between September 10 and October 2, 2007. This project component was not repeated in 2009 or 2010, as the results were intended to provide a long-term perspective and are still applicable to this most recent survey wave. Click here to download a topline summary of the Expert interviews.

17-Country Quantitative Consumer Survey

The National Geographic/GlobeScan Greendex findings result from an international consumer survey conducted between February 1 – April 26, 2010. One thousand adults, 18 and older, completed this online survey in each of 17 countries. GlobeScan's Internet panel supplier, Markelytics, conducted the online fieldwork. The countries included in the survey were:

• Argentina
• Australia
• Brazil
• Canada
• China
• France
• Germany
• Hungary
• India
• Japan
• Mexico
• Russia
• South Korea
• Spain
• Sweden
• United Kingdom
• United States

The survey was quantitative in nature, and included questions on food source and consumption, transportation, energy use, waste disposal, purchase of environmentally friendly products, and attitudes toward a variety of related issues.

To ensure that no demographic groups were over-represented in the quantitative survey sample, quota caps were set for education, age, and gender. The data for each country were weighted according to the latest census data to reflect the demographic profile of each country.

The margin of error per country is approximately /- 3.1% 95 percent of the time.

In 2008, GlobeScan conducted 1,000 face-to-face interviews among adults 18 and older in Nigeria and Egypt. While these face-to-face results are not comparable to the online results detailed above for online studies in 2008 through 2010, National Geographic chose to include them in the initial study in the interest of gathering stand-alone findings for these countries, and with the expectation that Internet penetration will reach sufficient levels in the future to include Nigeria and Egypt in later years' online surveys.

Greendex Calculations

The Greendex measures consumer behavior and material lifestyle according to 65 different variables. Using many variables avoids skews that can occur within a smaller set of variables.

Structurally, the Greendex is a meta-index composed of four sub-indices: housing, transportation, food, and consumption of goods. The goods sub-index takes into account both everyday purchases and waste disposal, as well as ownership of big-ticket items such as appliances.

Each respondent earns a score that reflects the environmental impact of his or her consumption patterns. Points are awarded or subtracted for specific forms of consumer behavior, resulting in a score out of a maximum total for each respondent.

Most forms of sustainable consumer behavior are weighted equally within the main components of the Greendex. Forms of behavior that have obviously larger environmental costs or benefits are weighted more heavily (e.g., home heating and driving alone in a large motorized vehicle). That is, these activities have a greater impact on Greendex scores.

No allowances are made for consumer behavior that is determined by geography, climatic conditions where respondents live, culture, religion, or the relative availability of sustainable products. The Greendex is intended as an overall indicator of one's environmental footprint.

Market Basket

The "Market Basket," is a set of indicators of actual consumption in four areas important to environmentally sustainable behavior-energy, transportation, travel, and consumer goods. A Market Basket for each country was assembled in both 2008 and 2009 using a set of independently collected macroeconomic indicators, gathered by the Economist Intelligence Unit and OAG Worldwide, that mirror, in part, the consumer behavior measured by the Greendex survey. This Market Basket will be repeated periodically going forward.

Market Basket indicators include the following variables:

• Population size and rate of growth
• GDP per capita based on Purchasing Power Parity (PPP)
• Per capita energy consumption
• Passenger car registrations
• Number of domestic and international aircraft passengers per 1,000 people
• Expenditure by households on hotels and restaurants

The purpose of the Market Basket is to provide an external estimate of the results of changes in consumer behavior over time. The Greendex, for example, measures things consumers are doing to save energy in a country; the Market Basket measures whether total energy consumption in the country is actually going up or down. It will also establish a framework for comparing the relative environmental impact of each country's size and rate of growth, over time.

About GlobeScan

GlobeScan is an international opinion research consultancy. Companies, multilateral institutions, governments and NGOs trust GlobeScan for its unique expertise in reputation research, sustainability, and issues management. GlobeScan provides global organizations with evidence-based insight and advice to help them build strong brands, manage relations with key stakeholders, and define their strategic positioning. GlobeScan conducts research in over 90 countries, is certified to the ISO 9001:2008 standard for its quality management system, and is a signatory to the UN Global Compact. Established in 1987, GlobeScan is an independent, management-owned company with offices in London, Toronto, and San Francisco.