Consumers face climate burnout as fears over global conflicts increase

Rising concerns about war, safety and economic strain are taking up more of people’s mental space, leaving them feeling worn down rather than disengaged on climate, The Sustainability Sector Index 2026 from Kantar finds.

The report reveals that while concern about climate has softened year-on-year, demand for brands that deliver positive environmental and social impact remains strong.

From 13,000 surveyed across 12 markets, wars and conflicts (36 per cent), environmental concerns (29 per cent), the economy (28 per cent) and crime and safety (20 per cent) are consumers’ top issues.

“Rising fears about global international war and economic fragility are taking up more space in people’s minds, making them stressed and overwhelmed,” said Karine Trinquetel, Head of Offer, Sustainable Transformation Practice at Kantar.

At the same time, almost three out of four of those surveyed (74 per cent) say they have tried or are more likely to try brands that have positive environmental or social impact (up 2%pts year on year), indicating that demand for more sustainable choices and lifestyles is still strong.

“It might be tempting for brands to dial back on sustainability marketing but now is not the time to retreat,” said Trinquetel.

While it is “essential to acknowledge the political and economic upheavals we are all living through,” Trinquetel explained that brands that “slow down” on sustainability efforts with “pay later”.

“Equity takes time to build and concerns around the environment will inevitably rebound,” she said, urging brands to make the right choice the easy one for people to make in tense times.

While brands that maintain their ambition and adapt their communications will build trust, resilience and long term value – the study also warns against greenwashing. Most people (57 per cent) say they have seen, or heard, false or misleading information about sustainable actions taken by brands. The sectors seen to be most guilty of greenwashing are big tech (63 per cent), news (62 per cent) and energy (60 per cent).

“Big tech brands attract concerns around the social division that can be sowed by their products, such as by platforming misinformation and introducing algorithm biases to the content they show,” Trinquetel added.

While worries about greenwashing are pervasive, not all sectors are affected by sustainability concerns to the same extent. AI tools are in the bottom three for climate risk, with 28 per cent of respondents people globally unable to name a single sustainability issue connected with AI. The oil and gas, fast food and cleaning and homecare sectors are the top three sectors by this metric.

“Sustainability perceptions contribute materially to brand value – they make up to 10 per cent of equity among the BrandZ Global Top 100 Most Valuable Brands,” said Trinquetel. “And the first step in building equity through sustainability is to understand the forces shaping consumers’ lives and priorities, as well as the realities of the sector they operate in.”

“This is fundamental to showing up in a way that is relevant and meaningful,” she concluded.

Overall, the report finds that brands that will show up smarter in 2026 will be the ones that stay present, build meaningful difference, focus on the right topics, make action easy and design for inclusion. Using evidence, sector context and human understanding positions brands to build lasting trust with consumers.