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Ethical consumers 'trapped by market'

08/08/2007

Market trends are not enough to drive changes towards more ethically driven consumption, a report published today claims.

The Economic and Social Research Council thinktank argues in research published today that many consumers feel their spending choices are limited by what is immediately available to them.

It suggests the campaigns which create the biggest changes are those which are driven at a level above that of the individual.

Consumers are more likely to make changes in their behaviour if they are motivated by public rather than individual commitments, the report argues. These could be politically driven or spurred by membership of a faith community.

Clive Barnett of the ESRC's cultures of consumption programme said: "People actually seem very aware of these types of things, but often don't feel that they have the opportunities or resources to be able to buy Fairtrade products or ethically sourced goods."

He used the the utilities sector as an example of a sector where there is no clear difference between firms on their ethical credentials to illustrate the point.

"If ethical consumption campaigns are to succeed they need to transform the infrastructures of every day consumption rather than focussing on changing individual consumer behaviour," Dr Barnett explained.

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