[Corporations] ETHICAL CONSUMERISM

[Mike Spears]

ETHICAL CONSUMERISM

What is ethical consumerism? The New Economics Foundation & The Cooperative
Bank have just published the Ethical Consumerism report 2002. The report
reviews ethical consumerism in the UK in 2003 and argues that ethics does
come into play for the 'majority' when making their purchasing choices.
Unfortunately, the report gives little insight into the fuller picture of an
individuals spending pattern and we are left wondering what impact increases
in so-called ethical shopping really make...

Yet it seems, ethical consumerism is generally on the up - report findings
include:

* the total value of ethical consumption in the UK
  was £19.9 billion in 2002
* as part of this total, the Ethical Purchasing Index (EPI)
  recorded sales at £6.9 billion, representing a 13% increase on 2001
* there are some ethical products that are now the product of consumer
choice 
 
 Interesting  counter statistics:
* the total market share for ethical goods and services is less than 2 per
cent
* for mass market adoption, supply side influences or government
intervention may be required

(adapted from the report)

Available online at:
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www.neweconomics.org/gen/uploads/tkuggjui2ngnmpvjyyi5hqrw08012004145902.pdf
<http://www.neweconomics.org/gen/uploads/tkuggjui2ngnmpvjyyi5hqrw08012004145
902.pdf>