May 10, 2021 The Covid-19 pandemic has elevated consumers’ focus on sustainability and willingness to pay out of their own pockets – or even take a pay cut – for a sustainable future. This is according to a new IBM Institute for Business Value (IBV) survey of over 14 000 consumers in nine countries. Nine in 10 consumers surveyed reported the Covid-19 pandemic affected their views on environmental sustainability, and Covid-19 was the top factor cited in influencing their view – more than others presented such as widespread wildfires/brushfires, disasters due to weather events and news coverage on the topic. The survey also revealed differences in consumer opinion across geographies, with Americans surveyed reporting the least concern about sustainability topics. For example, only 51% of US consumers surveyed said addressing climate change was very or extremely important to them, compared to 73% of respondents from all other countries.