---
title: "Consumer trust in sustainability: 2024 survey"
canonical: https://csrjobs.club/blog/consumer-skepticism-about-corporate-sustainability-grows
locale: en
description: Read this dated summary of a 2024 study on consumer perceptions of sustainability claims, with clear limits on applying its findings to the present day.
updated: 2026-10-21
type: news
published: 2024-11-26
source: CSR Jobs
---

# Consumer trust in sustainability: 2024 survey

Capgemini Research Institute's A world in balance 2024 reported growing skepticism about corporate sustainability claims among its surveyed consumers. This is a historical study, not a measurement of all consumers today or evidence of current recruitment demand.

## Keep the finding attached to its sample

The [official research page](https://www.capgemini.com/gb-en/insights/research-library/sustainability-trends-2024/) describes a consumer survey of 6,500 people across 13 countries. It reports that 52% believed organizations were greenwashing their sustainability initiatives, compared with 33% in the previous edition. The original CSR Jobs summary stated 53%; that figure is corrected here to match the primary source.

A reported perception does not establish that every organization was making a false claim. Nor does a comparison of survey editions prove why individual respondents changed their views. Preserve the wording, sample and period when discussing the finding.

| Research detail | What to keep in a summary |
|---|---|
| Respondents | The study's consumer sample and countries |
| Measure | Belief about greenwashing, not verified misconduct by every company |
| Date | The 2024 edition and the earlier comparison period |
| Limitation | A survey finding cannot establish current hiring needs |

## Apply it to communications work carefully

For a sustainability communications role, the practical question is how a claim can be checked. Find its underlying evidence, identify the reporting period, and distinguish a result from a future target. Ask whether the wording describes the organization, a product, or a narrower activity. A broad claim can imply more than a limited measurement supports.

This is a way to review evidence, not a determination of advertising-law compliance. Current requirements depend on the claim and jurisdiction and need separate checking.

## Exercise: build a claim evidence card

Choose a public claim and record **the exact claim / who made it / the stated scope / reporting period / linked evidence / uncertainty / a clarification question**. Mark your card as independent analysis using public information. Avoid declaring a company misleading solely because a supporting detail was not found during a short exercise.

Use the completed card to show your research process in a [sustainability portfolio](/blog/how-to-build-a-portfolio-for-a-career-in-sustainability). When applying, connect that process to the duties in the vacancy rather than presenting an old survey as proof that the employer needs a particular hire.

Primary reference checked on 21 October 2026. This article preserves the historical research context and corrects the former percentage.

---

Source: https://csrjobs.club/blog/consumer-skepticism-about-corporate-sustainability-grows