Amid talk of recession (or perhaps in the midst of a recession already), consumers are now more worried about the economy than the environment - a significant shift since last year’s Sustainable Brands conference, where Annie Longsworth, Russ Meyer, and Jay Leveton presented the findings from their first ImagePower Green Brands Survey. This year’s follow-up to that groundbreaking study, which covers the attitudes and perceptions driving green product purchases, shows a decidedly mixed bag.

The wave of eco-marketing and media attention over the last year and half appears to have been effective, with one-third of Americans reporting that they take part in environmentally focused activities and as many as eight in ten think it important or very important to buy from greener brands. At the same time, however, consumers reported a definite sense of eco-fatigue from the more than 3,600 new green products that have debuted in the last year.

It’s important that marketers focus on messaging that is effective rather than overwhelming.

~Annie Longsworth, Cohn & Wolfe

Concern about the economy has swelled to its highest level in 30 years, taking focus away from environmental issues, according to the report. In the U.S., 77% of respondents said they are more concerned about the economy versus 17% who are more concerned about the environment. In the U.K., the numbers were 65% and 28%, respectively.

It’s unclear, though, if consumers are feeling upbeat about anything these days. There appears to be a pervasive sentiment that things are generally getting worse not better, particularly among lower income brackets. In terms of environmental concerns such pessimism has shifted in recent years, according to the report, with more consumers saying the trouble lies with government's lack of initiative rather than industry's polluting activities. Better than a third of consumers (36%) said they expect the government to do more, followed by industry (26%) and consumers themselves (11%).

The Greenest Brands: Who’s Getting Ahead, Who’s Falling Behind?