Radio Australia

A survey has found Australian consumers are deeply concerned about the environment, but many are unwilling to pay the higher costs that would accompany an emissions trading scheme.

The Globe and Mail

A Statistics Canada study released Thursday indicates that despite all the public griping, private behaviour is stuck in the same old rut. Gas prices have been rising since 2002, it noted, yet Canadian drivers have not cut back on their consumption. Last year we posted our largest annual increase in gas consumption. And in the first five months of 2008, consumption continued to rise, albeit at a modest rate of 0.5 per cent.

Source: BusinessWeek

Shoppers will soon find carbon labels on products they purchase to help them understand the associated environmental impact. “But even if the public can interpret the information, will it help reduce greenhouse gas emissions?”

The Christian Science Monitor

Stroll around a typical home-goods store and you might feel as though you’re walking outdoors – everything is turning green. Over the past year, more mainstream companies have jumped on the green bandwagon, unveiling “natural” cleaners, recycled products and packaging, sustainably made furniture, and housewares aimed at a growing market niche: the green consumer.

Consumer tastes need to change further in order to make the business case for a green economy, but they are already evolving, says Roger Martin, dean of management at the University of Toronto. “I think the prosperity impact of environmental challenges will be absolutely dwarfed by the attitudinal changes, absolutely dwarfed,” Mr. Martin said yesterday.

A recent poll conducted by IBM shows that 76% of top executives do not fully understand consumer concerns and demands for corporate social responsibilities.

Wal-Marts’ launch of its new environmental campaign aims to position the company as an environmentally friendly brand. Wal-Mart will offer various environmentally friendly products including T-shirts made with recycled plastic bottles, certified organic coffee and more.

A ban on the distribution of plastic bags by retailers will take effect at the end of the year in South Australia. However, Premier Mike Rann states that “such a ban – on 57 per cent of the state’s plastic bag stream – would be inefficient and more expensive than the litter problem it is designed to solve.”

The Canadian food distributor, Loblaw Companies Limited is looking to add carbon labels to its private label products. If this goes through, consumers will be able to see the carbon dioxide emissions associated with the products’ production.

“The U.S. auto industry is on the cusp of a dramatic change in which companies and customers make decisions with environmental impact in mind, a group of panelists agreed Wednesday in Detroit.”