The majority of Americans (55%) believe sustainability efforts are losing momentum in 2025, according to a new YouGov report.
Americans believe the federal government is more responsible for environmental sustainability than consumers themselves (58% vs 39%), yet that consumers are doing a much better job of contributing to sustainability (23% federal government vs 75% consumers).
Following this, only 10% of Americans believe their actions negatively impact the environment for future generations.
Built on surveys of 29,000+ Americans, YouGov’s newest report US sustainability report & rankings 2025 segments Americans into five distinct groups based on their attitudes toward sustainability.
The groups are identified as:
- Planet Protectors (28%): Engaged environmentalists who are willing to pay more for eco-friendly products.
- Price Point Green (20%): Care about the environment, but are highly price-sensitive.
- Green When Keen (14%): Recognize climate change but do not integrate sustainability into their lifestyle.
- On The Green Fence (17%): Unconcerned and disengaged from sustainability issues.
- Green Rejecters (21%): Skeptical about climate change and environmental sustainability.
The report identifies trending demographics in each group before comparing Planet Protectors and Green Rejectors, finding:
- Aggregate analysis: Across 2,000+ brands surveys over the course of a year, Planet Protectors consider 17% more brands than Green Rejectors (10.8% vs 9.2%)
- Top overall: Target (+28%) and Ben & Jerry’s (+23%) are more likely to be considered by Planet Protectors, while Hobby Lobby (+19%) and Bass Pro Shops (+17%) are more likely to be considered by Green Rejectors
- Most improved: Land O’ Lakes (+8.2%) and Chase (+6.9%) have improved most among Planet Protectors since 2024, while X (+7.3%) and Walmart Plus (+6.3%) have improved most among Green Rejectors
- Top trenders: Nature Made (+8.6%) and Shell (+8.1%) are trending most toward Planet Protectors since 2024, while X (+8.6%) and V8 (+7.6%) are trending most toward Green Rejectors
- Celebrities: 67% of Planet Protectors have a positive view of John Oliver, vs 6% of Green Rejectors. On the other hand, 68% of Green Rejectors view positively of Elon Musk, vs 18% of Planet Protectors.
- Shared opinions: While Planet Protectors and Green Rejectors disagree on a lot, three-quarters of each group have a positive view of Bill Murray and agree that “Brands will slap a label on anything to make money.”
“Despite the sense that momentum is shifting away from environmental stability in 2025, most Americans have remained firm in their beliefs about the climate,” says Mark Fantino, SVP and Head of Commercial at YouGov America. “In fact, YouGov research suggests that millions of Americans have moved a tad to the left on sustainability over the last 12 months.”
In total, YouGov’s US sustainability report & rankings 2025 identifies 150+ brands across 14 industries that Planet Protectors and Green Rejectors uniquely consider purchasing or using their products.
The report is available for free download here.
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