15 years of Sustainable Brand Index: Sustainability is the New Normal
The 2010s were characterised by heavy fluctuations in consumer interest and attention to sustainability-related issues. For many consumers, sustainability and different types of corporate responsibility were new and unknown, still being moulded by company communication.
The 2020s have instead been characterised by a more stable interest in and concern about sustainability issues. There is a New Normal in which sustainability is integrated into people's expectations of companies, society, and other stakeholders.
The challenge today is that mistrust in sustainability communication is widespread, and consumer behaviours lag behind ambitions (because they have jobs, families, friends and other things that take their time and attention). In times when consumers need directions to understand how to make good choices, company communication is, at best, vague and unambitious, leaving consumers confused.
The big question for brands today is: How do we balance bold sustainability action with credible, transparent communication?
The share of consumers in each country discussing sustainability on regular basis.
Key sustainability topics in 2025
There is little difference between this year and last year regarding the topics that consumers choose to discuss with each other. No topic has received any extra focus from consumers. War and conflicts, the climate, and public health are still at the top of the agenda. The only topic that dropped slightly more in interest among Swedes was the domestic economy (-4 percentage points).
Finally, the low discussion rates around Sustainable Finance reflect that financial sustainability is still immature in consumer discussions.
Consumer willingness to pay for sustainability keeps declining
The willingness to pay for sustainability continues to decline across the board. This trend started around 2021.
Economic pressures play a significant role. Even though people still care about sustainability, many consumers face tighter budgets or uncertain financial conditions. Rising living costs make them less willing to pay a premium for sustainable products, even if they support the idea in principle.
Consumers have also become more sceptical about the value of paying extra. They often question whether sustainable products offer more benefits than standard alternatives, especially if the additional cost does not translate into a noticeably higher quality or longer-lasting item. This scepticism results in a reluctance to spend extra money on sustainability, even as overall interest remains steady. Suppose there is a price gap for the consumer and companies fail to provide clear advantages over conventional products. In that case, consumers will opt for more affordable options despite their support for sustainable practices.
The Sustainable Brand Index Ranking 2025
Just as interest in sustainability has cemented and stabilised in recent years, perceptions of brands and their sustainability efforts appear to have followed the same pattern. A declining frequency of sustainability communication from companies over the past few years - an ongoing trend this year - has resulted in steady perceptions. The variation in ranking scores and brand perceptions is minimal.
Positive attitude to sustainability communication. But growing mistrust over time
In Sweden, positive attitudes have declined, but this follows a sharp increase last year, suggesting a natural stabilisation rather than a significant shift.
The long-term trend between 2021 and 2025 is clear. Trust in sustainability communication goes down while mistrust goes up. If we compare the shares of Trust in 2021 with the same for 2025, they have dropped. Similarly, if we compare the shares of Mistrust in 2021 with the shares in 2025, they have increased. In short, mistrust is still weighing heavy despite a fairly neutral development over the past year.