Attitude Behavior Gap: Bridging the Disconnect in Sustainable Consumer Behavior

The Attitude Behavior Gap (ABG) reflects the inconsistency between consumers’ pro-sustainable attitudes and their actual consumer behaviors.

This study, conducted by the main project partners, Consumer Panel Germany GfK and YouGov and the FUTURE Institute of Sustainable Transformation, ambitiously sets out to bridge not only the gaps in academic literature but also the chasm between sustainable attitudes and real world behaviors. Co-publisher of the study is Procter & Gamble (P&G) Germany, which enriches the study with insights from a current project with WWF Germany on the sustainable usage of resources.

The goal is to move beyond abstract explanations to offer concrete solutions, adopting a stringent, objective definition of sustainability that emphasizes tangible metrics like product labeling and communications. Our methodology incorporates a diverse array of data sources consumer panel data comprising about 12,000 German households to academic literature – to develop and test actionable hypotheses.


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Consumer Panel Services GfK, part of YouGov Group, has over 60 years of experience helping FMCG and retail brands optimize their product, promotion, and retail strategies with precision and agility.
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Some of our key findings:

  • Socioeconomic Status: Higher income and education levels correlate with a smaller ABG. These factors influence sustainable purchasing by providing better financial means and access to information.
  • Sustainability Enthusiasm vs. Fatigue: Positive engagement in sustainability reduces the ABG. Conversely, negative feelings can lead to reactance and aversion to sustainable behavior.
  • Convenience & Product Placement: Sustainability needs to match conventional products in function and quality. Convenient access and attractive placement of sustainable products reduce the ABG.

Download our ABG study to deep-dive into the analysis and many more key findings!

Download our study here!

YouGov Group and FUTURE IfST GmbH will process the personal data you provide in accordance with YouGov`s Privacy Notice and FUTURE Institute's Privacy Notice for the purpose of responding to your request. Consumer Panel Services (CPS) GfK is part of the YouGov Group.

You may withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future. For more information, e.g. on how to exercise your data subject rights: YouGov`s Privacy Notice and FUTURE Institute's Privacy Notice

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