India, Brazil have most environment-sensitive consumers

Indians along with Brazilians have the most environmentally sustainable consumption pattern and behaviour among 14 major developed and developing countries, according to a new international survey. Greendex 2008, a new mechanism for measuring and comparing individual consumer behaviour with relation to environment is devised by National Geographic Society and international polling firm GlobeScan. While India and Brazil tie for the top slot scoring 60 points each, followed by other developing countries China (56.1), Mexico (54.3), its the developed countries that figure towards the bottom of the list with UK, Germany and Australia each have a Greendex score of 50.2, and US scoring the least with 44.9. An international panel of experts in global sustainability helped identify which consumer patterns were most crucial. The final survey questioned the consumers about their house energy use, transportation and goods purchase among others.

The Hindu, May 8, 2008

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