Mumbai: Nearly nine out of 10 consumers worldwide say they would switch to energy providers that offer products and services that help reduce level of greenhouse gas emissions, says new a study on climate change released today by global management consulting and technology services and outsourcing provider, Accenture, which had net revenues of $19.70 billion for the fiscal year ended 31 August 2007.

The study, based on a survey of more than 7,500 consumers in 17 countries in North America, Europe and Asia, found that 89 per cent of all consumers surveyed would switch to energy providers that offer lower-carbon-emitting products and services.

While respondents across the world are concerned about climate change and its impact, the concern appears to be greatest in emerging-market countries - 97 per cent of consumers surveyed in Brazil, China and India said they are concerned about climate change, compared with 85 per cent of all respondents, and 98 per cent of respondents in those three emerging-market countries said they believe that climate change will directly affect their lives, compared with just 73 per cent of respondents in Europe.

Respondents in emerging-market countries are also the most aware of the level of effort required for their countries to achieve their targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. For instance:

• More than 80 per cent of emerging-market respondents said they avoid taking the car (82 per cent, compared with an average of 68 per cent for all other respondents) and
• Avoid buying food imported by plane (82 per cent, compared with an average of 63 per cent for all other respondents)
• Nine out of 10 of all respondents said they would have a negative perception of any energy provider that is not taking concrete action to address climate change
• More than half (54 per cent) said they would be willing to switch electricity and gas providers if their current provider didn''t take action to address climate change.61 per cent said the same of their oil providers
• Nearly two-thirds (64 per cent) of respondents said they would be willing to pay a higher price - a premium of 11 per cent, on average - for products and services that produce lower greenhouse gas emissions.

>"Accenture''s research suggests that while the initial impact in business terms may be most evident on energy providers, it seems likely that this impact will increasingly spread to other resources companies either directly or as the impacts trickle through the supply chain from consumer-facing businesses," said Sander van ''t Noordende, group chief executive of Accenture''s Resources operating group. "From oil and gas companies to retailers to financial services companies to governments, no provider of products or services will be immune from consumers'' scrutiny and action."

The study found that individuals are taking the lead on climate change in response to deep concern over its effects on their everyday lives

• The vast majority (85 per cent) of respondents said they are either ''extremely'' or ''somewhat'' concerned about climate change
• 81 per cent said they believe it will directly affect their lives
• While the majority (more than 80 per cent) of consumers said they believe that climate change will have the greatest impact on weather and the ecosystem
• Three out of four (74 per cent) said they believe it will also have a significant effect on people''s health.

>"This seismic and rapid shift in the global consumer landscape presents major opportunities for companies who take the lead in addressing consumers'' climate change concerns and values, giving them a competitive advantage and differentiation in the eyes of consumers," said van ''t Noordende.

The study also shows that consumers are already acting on their concerns about climate change:

• Most survey respondents said they ''frequently'' recycle paper or plastic (71 per cent of respondents),
• Shut down electric devices when not in use (62 per cent)
• Turn down the heating or air-conditioning at home (61 per cent)
• Use high-efficiency light bulbs (59 per cent)
• More than one in three (41 per cent) said they regularly buy products containing recycled material.

>Methodology
Accenture''s Climate Change study is based on an online survey conducted with 7,526 consumers in 17 countries around the world to elicit opinions on climate change. Consumers were interviewed in North America (1,511 interviewees), Europe (3,512 interviewees), Japan and Australia (1,001 interviewees), as well as in the emerging-market countries of Brazil, China and India (1,502 interviewees). The sample was representative of the general population in the different countries except in the emerging-market countries, where a sample representative of each country''s urban population was interviewed.