Consumers in Asia-Pacific are among the most ESG-driven in the world, creating demand that has left brands scrambling to catch up.

Environmental and socially-conscious concerns steer shopping choices among 14% of consumers in Asia-Pacific and Europe, compared with around 8% in the U.S., a global survey earlier this year by consultancy Bain & Co. revealed.

But the supply of sustainable goods has fallen short.

The study of more than 16,000 consumers across 11 APAC countries found that many ESG-focused shoppers in China and the wider region are struggling with limited stock, tight availability and small product ranges.

How can retailers and brands keep pace?

For its part, Alibaba Group has pledged to be carbon neutral by 2030 as it reins in emissions across its operations and works with millions of merchants to offer more sustainable products.

Alizila’s Managing Editor Alison Tudor-Ackroyd spoke with Zara Lightowler, co-author of the survey and an associate partner at Bain & Co., to learn more.

Key Quotes:

“The consciousness of consumers is actually very high, so they understand sustainability and want more sustainable products,” said Lightowler.

“When it comes to the point of purchase, what consumers find is that there’s often low availability, poor product range and it’s more time consuming to find sustainable options,” said Lightowler.