“

You don’t use those words,

though, do you? You see
them on packages”
Focus group participant,
Spring 2007

Words
that sell
How the public talks
about sustainability
Contents Introduction

01 Introduction
Contents Words matter. They matter a great deal. Words bring ideas alive, make
new concepts familiar, and can change the way we see the world.
02 What we learned 
Marketers, journalists and those working in the media are acutely aware of
04 How to use this guide: the importance of words. There is a whole industry dedicated to perfecting
Green Words copy. A PR company can spend days (or weeks, if the client is important
Amber Words enough) pondering a single line of text. In some cases, millions of pounds
Red Words are spent on market testing one word.

05 Second Chance Waste and Smart Appliances  Yet those promoting sustainable development work with an inherited
ZERO WASTE terminology cobbled together from science, economics and decades of policy
LESS IS MORE making, pressure group campaigning and academic debate. Most people
SECOND CHANCE RUBBISH working in a sustainable development discipline know that their lexicon
SMART versus GREEDY is often invisible to the majority of the public, and at worst alienating and
WATTAGE WASTAGE and CUT THE BUZZ off-putting to many non specialists.
SLIM BINS
Understanding how the public responds to sustainability terminology isn’t
09 Spurting and Savvy Driving  simply a test of basic understanding of the words. Experts are careful to
FLIGHT ADDICT and HABITUAL FLYER balance the ‘denotative’ meaning of words (the dictionary definition) with
SAVVY DRIVING the ‘connotative’ associations, feelings and images a word conjures for the
NON-ESSENTIAL FLYING people who hear or use it.
BINGE FLYING
SPURTING This short study by Futerra is designed to test the connotative meanings
THE MPG CHALLENGE (mpg = miles per gallon) of both established and some newly coined sustainability terminology.
STRESS-FREE MOTORING We’ve picked up terms from government reports, NGO posters and business
ECO-SAFE DRIVING websites, and we’ve even made up a few original ones.

14 Sparks That Last  The use of common words connects members of a community into a network
IN-HOUSE GENERATION with formidable collective powers. If sustainability is to become a persuasive
INDEPENDENT POWER vision, it needs a persuasive language.
FINITE ENERGY SOURCES
SPARKS THAT LAST We hope this report is a first step in developing that language.
GREEN POWER
POSTCODE POWER
MICROGENERATION
CONFLICT ENERGY

18 One Planet What? 

ONE PLANET LIVING
GREEN and CONSCIOUS LIFESTYLES
SQUARE DEAL
GLOBALLY ALERT and CITIZEN CONSUMERS
CARBON FOOTPRINT
CLIMATE-FRIENDLY LIFE
BLINKERED LIFESTYLE
DEVELOPING / DEVELOPED WORLD
POOR COUNTRIES / RICH COUNTRIES
NORTH / SOUTH
MY SLICE OF THE PIE

23 Overview: the findings 

01 Futerra Words that sell

What we learned
Futerra commissioned focus group testing of the terminology used
every day in the sustainable development community. Our team also
coined some new sustainability words and phrases to see how they
would be received by the public.
While the responses to the specific terms themselves are fascinating,
some clear conclusions emerged that can be applied across the whole
sustainability lexicon;
Common sense matters
The most popular and effective terms we tested were familiar to people and
sounded like ‘common sense’. Moral, obviously political or accusatory terms
were strongly reacted against, but terms that ‘do exactly what it says on the
tin’ were far more effective.
Humour doesn’t hurt
A few terms were seen to offer funny or tongue in cheek observations. These
were often repeated by the participants, and people seemed overjoyed to
be using an environmental terminology that wasn’t ‘aggressive’ or ‘fanatical’.
The great British sense of irony and humour is an excellent starting point for
developing terminology. The outright enthusiasm for these terms promise a
real desire for a green language that is socially acceptable and fun.
Guilt shuts us down
‘Psychological reactance’ is where people feel their freedoms are threatened
and they therefore begin to defend them aggressively. This strong and
sometimes outright angry response was generated by many of the terms
we tested. This is deeply worrying for public acceptance of sustainability.
Some of the pejorative terms (for unsustainable behaviour) we tested have
the opposite effect of that intended, leading people to value and defend the
behaviour associated with the unflattering term. Accusations of ‘being talked
down to’, ‘manipulated’ or even of ‘propaganda’ are levelled at language that
is associated with guilt.
‘We’ not ‘You’
Tapping into a sense of cooperation, community or shared interest appeared
to resonate more with our focus groups than terms associated with individual
or personal behaviours. We searched for sustainability terms that implied
mass social action or generated ‘social proof’ to test, but found that most
terms encourage atomised individual behaviour. Research consistently
shows that we follow the behaviour we see around us rather than making
isolated decisions. A terminology of sustainability ‘participation’ rather than
‘atomisation’ is urgently needed.
02 Futerra Words that sell
Words empathise and personify
Too often, sustainability terms are used for their denotative/dictionary
meaning but ignore their connotative associations. Terms that played on
connotative meanings, for example by ‘personifying’ waste and implying
it deserves a ‘second chance’ just as a person does, tested extremely well.
Response to empathic and emotive words was enthusiastic.
Smart and savvy rather than efficient
People in our focus groups were quick to acknowledge various permutations
of a win-win scenario. For example, ‘savvy driving’ can save money, save time,
increase quality time with children and help the environment. This term allows
people to associate themselves with the behaviour: smart people have savvy
products. The term is preloaded to be positive and emotionally uplifting rather
than terms such as ‘efficient’ that seemed good…but dull.
Who wants to be an ‘environmentalist’?
The hardest job was searching for positive, high-status sustainability terms
that the public could use to label themselves. No-one in our groups referred
to themselves an ‘environmentalist’, or even a ‘recycler’. The psychological
research into ‘symbolic self-completion’ teaches us how crucial it is to have
a defining term to support ongoing action. This is currently missing from
sustainability terminology: we want to be a something… and no ‘something’
is forthcoming.
Action speak louder than words
True, but people need a terminology that they are familiar with to give context
to actions, and to encourage others to undertake positive behaviours and
avoid negative ones. The most positive outcome of this study was to identify
a range of positive terminology associated with sustainable travel. The words
do work.
No-one re
fe
to themse rred
lv
as a recyc es
ler’
03
How to use this guide Second Chance Waste and Smart Appliances

Although more detailed focus group tested would be useful, we hope Words associated with waste and efficiency were the easiest to test;
that the conclusions from this short study will be immediately useful people understood the context, and most had taken some action. We
for anyone trying to engage the public in attitude or behaviour change didn’t test the word ‘recycling’, which has already entered the common
for sustainable development. lexicon.

As you’ll see, we tested a range of words and phrases, from common
sustainable development terminology to new terms we thought might work.
We have categorised the terms we tested in four typologies based on
our findings:
ZERO WASTE
The term ‘zero waste’ was well received, and seemed to resonate with several
people in the focus groups.
“If only we could work towards the notion of zero waste. The whole
business of fashion is ridiculous; no one wants things because they
are the wrong colour”
“We’ve got to work towards it; get the figure down”

AMBER Words Only one negative association was raised: that the term was pejorative.
words that might
Green Words work, but were not
RED Words
words that were “The only zero I think of is ‘zero tolerance’, like in New York. It’s too
terms that people entirely successful
easily misunderstood authoritarian. It’s about being told what to do”
liked and understood
or disliked

We also have also noted words that are still to be tested properly, because
we didn’t get enough evidence to add them to our traffic light rating.
At the end of each section we have also listed words that were totally ignored
by respondents. These are words they did not want to discuss, and for our
next research paper we’d love to discover why not.
LESS IS MORE
‘Less is more’ was interpreted as a reference to packaging and waste (rather
than efficiency), an issue that raised temperatures.
“Packaging drives me bananas – it’s such a waste”
“There’s too much waste. It’s ridiculous”
“It annoys me; it didn’t use to be like this”
“You pay money for packaging, then throw it away”

There were many positive responses to ‘less is more’ and associated

sayings such as ‘one man’s waste is another man’s asset’ that we introduced
to the group.

“It makes me think of when I was little and my mum used a hessian bag”
“Someone else can use what you don’t want”
“I come at it in a philosophical sense. Less is more”

This term also initiated comments about the wider principle of

sustainable living.

“Use this slogan to come up with an eco-friendly life: chuck out lots, “It annoys
m
prioritise, get rid of clutter and nick-nacks, put a whole new head on” it didn’t u e;
se
be like th to
is”

04 Futerra Words that sell 05

Second Chance Waste and Smart Appliances
Packaging is therefore an extremely useful ‘entry point’ for discussions of
sustainability. Common wisdom has decided that to be angry and frustrated
about packaging is a socially acceptable position. Terms such as ‘less is
more’ applied in this context aid familiarity (crucial for social acceptance) and
confidence in discussing the issue.
SECOND CHANCE RUBBISH
The concept of ‘second chance rubbish’ was an attempt to add to the
terminology of recycling and proved quite successful. Most powerful was
the implicit anthropomorphism of rubbish that created empathy with waste.
“You give a person a second chance; it’s worked for a while so you give
it another chance”
“It gives rubbish a personality – a second chance”
It was also associated with “vintage fashion, second hand clothes” and
“refurbished scanners”. Something quite complex was going on here, related
to the merits of ‘new’ versus ‘used’ and the changing relationship emerging
with both concepts.
This concept of personification deserves much more attention in terms of the
value placed on resources. Many attempts have been made to give resources
and waste tangible or financial value, but this research identifies a potential
‘emotional value’.
SMART versus GREEDY
One of the most powerful dynamics was in the comparison between ‘smart’
appliances and ‘energy-greedy’ ones. Unexpectedly, respondents assumed
these terms were intended as official labels that would be visible at the point
of sale!
The word ‘smart’ in particular was seen as an implicit compliment for those
who chose clever appliances.
“Clever enough not to waste energy”
“It’s clever; more expensive to buy, but cheaper in the long term”
“Run on something that’s better for the environment, like Smart cars.
They don’t waste energy”
u b
s r lity – .”
“Or washing machines that turn themselves off”
g i v e
“`It erson chan
p
a econd
s
a “Turn it off; don’t leave phone chargers on overnight; no white noise”
06 Futerra Words that sell
Some recognised that ‘smart’ fridges and washing machines already exist. It
is worth noting that respondents were very comfortable with both ‘smart’ and
‘savvy’ and yet no-one mentioned ‘efficient’, a word that our research suggests
is not in common parlance.
On ‘energy-greedy’ appliances, some immediately assumed the term was
a label that would be shown “on high-energy appliances, like tumble driers
and electric fires”.
“A useful notice, not a propaganda exercise. It will save on our bills”
“‘Labelling on electrical appliances, to dissuade us to buy it”
The personification of ‘energy greedy’ was easily understood and translated
to domestic appliances such as TVs left on, or on standby, for long periods
of time.
“It would dissuade people from buying it – think twice about switching on”
“It makes me think of the wheel on the electricity meter”
The last comment, which shows that the term creates a mental picture of
energy use, is very encouraging. Anything that builds an understanding of
energy use should be welcomed. Of course, the barriers to behaviour change
still remain, and unfortunately no clever word will change that.
“We leave on three TVs when we are not watching them – it takes so
much energy”
WATTAGE WASTAGE and CUT THE BUZZ
Two new terms that received interesting but mixed responses were ‘wattage
wastage’ and ‘cut the buzz’.
‘Wattage wastage’ was thought to relate both to home and business
environments.
“‘Things in the home and in offices as well. It’s madness; why not turn off?”
“This is down to electricity, lights, bulbs”
“Leaving lights on, left on standby – I’m paranoid about waste”
bish
For most, ‘wattage’ refers specifically to light bulbs, although the alliteration
was regarded as light-hearted and therefore welcomed.
a ce
‘Cut the buzz’ was intended to inspire a feeling of electrical equipment filling
a room with an unpleasant low-level noise, helping people to remember to
switch off unnecessary lights and devices. For some this worked well.
For others, however, the term related to the media ‘buzz’ about the
environment. As a phrase, ‘cut the buzz’ deserves more testing, and may
be more effective when tested with visual or audio prompts.
07
 Spurting and Savvy Driving
“`Pu
t
in, less rub
n
the ot feedi bish
bin.” ng
SLIM BINS Terms concerned with travel and transport were the most contentious
and likely to elicit psychological reactance and accusations of
Another of our attempts to personify a term was to associate waste efficiency propaganda. However, they were also the terms where social
with eating less or dieting. This worked for some. proof was weakest – people openly disagreed with each other and
“Put less rubbish in, not feeding the bin” demonstrated anxiety about ‘the right thing to do’.
“If you recycle most stuff then you won’t have a big fat bin”

However, there was significant confusion over the meaning of this phrase, FLIGHT ADDICT and HABITUAL FLYER
and some felt personally insulted by terminology around weight and eating.
Surprisingly, the accusatory term ‘flight addict’ was rather popular, and the
only term that was associated with personal holiday flying.

“Some people are just so set in their ways – going to the Costa del Sol
Still to test every year”

Other terms Futerra would like to test include: “They don’t look at other options”

1. ‘Landfill bins’ versus ‘Recycling bins’ This is one of the very few terms in the research that was liked for its
tongue-in-cheek humour.
2. Cut, collect and combine
“It’s a joke, a bit cheeky, a bit of a dig”
3. Bin-free environment
Similarly, the phrase ‘habitual flyer’ created a mental image of a socially
4. Built-in waste
unacceptable person, and was one of the few terms that also elicited
5. Leak-free energy spontaneous discussion of alternatives to flying.

“It’s someone who flies a lot. Flies to Scotland when they could take the train”
Ignored words “It’s mainly habit. They fly to Manchester when they could make
a conference call”
• Resource efficiency
We have judged these terms to be useful and readily applicable, although
• Energy efficiency with the warning that all travel terminology isn’t without risk.
“You can’t stop people living their life”

“The
at o y don’t lo
ther
optiook
ns”

08 Futerra Words that sell 09

 Spurting and Savvy Driving
NON-ESSENTIAL FLYING
This term prompted heated debate between respondents, partly focused
on the definition of ‘essential’.
“They always get at us. What is essential? We are all different. Most flights are
essential; if it’s quick it’s quick”
“If it’s essential to you and you want to fly, then go and do it. You work every
day of your life, so you want to take your family on holiday”
“I don’t think this is going to go anywhere. I cannot see people saying, ‘I’ll only
take one holiday, not two’”
“How many people in the world take non-essential flights? I bet it’s a tenth
of one percent”
Concerns were raised about who decided what was essential and what
wasn’t. Interestingly, flights weren’t generally referred to as ‘pleasant’ or
‘desirable’ but rather as a necessary and unavoidable means of getting to
a holiday destination.
Views on business flying were less polarised, with a majority feeling confident
to condemn the rich and privileged.
“Non-essential flying is when businesses fly people all round the world, and
the royals in their private jets”
Although ‘non-essential flying’ is currently used (especially by government)
to avoid the perception of an attack on holiday flights, its ambiguity actually
has the opposite effect. Respondents worried that ‘non-essential’ equals
‘non-business’, and the ambiguity therefore leaves open the interpretation
of a direct attack on family holidays!
“They alw
get at us ays
is essenti. What
al?”
10 Futerra Words that sell
“ Ho
unaw
tha ttractiv
eve t is in e
ry w
ay ”
BINGE FLYING
Although obviously a more aggressive attack upon flying, this phrase was less
ambiguous and was clearly understood to refer to excessive flying.
“How unattractive that is in every way”
“Greedy and grabbing, but not thought through properly
“It’s the same category as a binge drinker”
The term was clearly associated with wealthy or privileged people.
“Excessive behaviour and drinking champagne on the plane”
However, the term is still classified as amber in our traffic light rating because,
for some, it was at odds with their perceptions of flying.
“Fashionable – like it’s fashionable to have a tan”
We believe that this term might be used successfully for excessive business
flying, especially when associated with ‘fat cat’ terminology.
SPURTING
This is a term currently used by some pressure groups to define non-essential
flying. The term totally polarised the two socio-economic groups we tested.
Many of those with a middle class outlook could barely bring themselves to
say it out loud, whereas working class respondents considered it witty and apt.
“People would say, ‘what is that?’ It’s spurting out fuel, rushing from one place
to another, using too much fuel… spurting it away”
Despite the positive response from some, the discomfort created by the term
in others is cause for using the term with care
11
Spurting and Savvy Driving

SAVVY DRIVING STRESS-FREE MOTORING

Of all the terms researched, this had perhaps the greatest appeal with Some respondents strongly identified with the desire for stress-free driving.
people across the focus groups. Depending on your outlook, ‘savvy’
could imply either ‘intelligent decisions’ or ‘good common sense’. “Starting and leaving work early to avoid the traffic”
“Sharing a journey”
While it could have an environmental or resource connotation, “Sav
v
‘savvy driving’ is more likely to capture the understanding that we bei y is abo “Stress-free driving is about guilt-free driving, like car-sharing. A lot of this
ng s
mart ut
can all change aspects of our driving behaviour to reduce costs eco green stuff is about guilt”
and unnecessary waste.
” However, for some the concept was totally alien.
“Drive clever and drive the right sort of car”
“I love driving and don’t see why people get stressed”
“Savvy is about being smart”
More research is needed for this term to determine the demographic that
Some observed their own illogical and lazy behaviour, such as sitting is likely to respond most positively.
in the school run when it would be quicker to walk. This also has
positive aspects, such as “chat time for me and my daughter”.
ECO-SAFE DRIVING
“If you could see the queue of traffic outside my daughter’s school…”
To put it bluntly, this term wasn’t discussed – simply laughed at.
Excitingly for sustainable development, ‘savvy driving’ associations weren’t
just with unnecessary journeys.

“The way a person drives: turning off the engine, driving slowly, using your
eco-brain, car pooling, don’t waste petrol”
Still to test
It was even suggested that it could have street appeal. Other terms Futerra would like to test include:
“Some see savvy driving as cooler than eco-driving”
Anti-social driving

Gas-savvy
THE MPG CHALLENGE (mpg = miles per gallon)
The principle of the challenge was recognised and was linked to “Chelsea
tractors; if they drive a mile it’s cost a pound in petrol”.
Ignored words
There were no ignored words in this topic.
Others recognised that it has a wider focus, encouraging people “to be more
aware of how your car performs in terms of petrol”.

However, this term doesn’t get a green rating because only some people
(mainly men) in the groups knew what MPG stands for.

12 Futerra Words that sell 13

 Sparks That Last
We assumed that words associated with energy would be readily
understood. However, many terms that have become familiar (and, in
some cases, almost clichéd) to sustainability professionals are still
new and unfamiliar to the general public. This provides a real window
of opportunity to reconsider our terminology and choose options that
are potentially more successful.
IN-HOUSE GENERATION
This term was seen in the context of domestic energy, and carried positive
associations.
“Generating power within your home, solar power, self-sufficient, self-reliant,
solar power and double glazing, treble glazing”
“ It does “There are self-sufficient houses in some areas of the country”
w
it says hat
on Respondents gave unexpectedly clear feedback about why this was
the tin” a positive term.
“It’s punchy and positive. It’s not offensive, it’s not aggressive and it’s not
political”
“It does what it says on the tin”
This ‘neutrality’ was seen as a real benefit of the term, especially when
compared with others. ‘Doing exactly what it says on the tin’ is widely
regarded as a very good thing.
INDEPENDENT POWER
This was also seen as a positive phrase.
“The energy companies obviously don’t want it”
“If your home heats itself you’re not dependent on big companies”
Being independent of big companies was seen as slightly rebellious and
positive as ‘an Englishman’s home is his castle’. However, some concern was
raised about the possibility of this independence..
“We don’t build our homes in that way; we’ve missed the opportunity”
14 Futerra Words that sell
FINITE ENERGY SOURCES
This term seemed both easily understood and non-contentious.
“Coal and wood that is naturally depleting, not being replaced”
It also raised issues of access and equity, “because the world is
over-populated”.
SPARKS THAT LAST
This phrase was liked by those for whom the use of ‘sparks’ was inextricably
linked to electricians (or ‘sparkies’).
For many this was described as ‘catchy’, implying “electric to last;
guaranteed power”.
However, despite its positive association, the term was found to be rather
ambiguous, and should only be used within a clear context.
GREEN POWER
This was generally thought to mean “creating power using air, wind
and water”.
One focus group member also saw it as a play on ‘girl power’.
Interestingly, the use of ‘green’ opened up a wider discussion about the
word itself.
“It needs to be protected”
“It’s on the way to being devalued”
In fact, it’s this association that convinced us to rate ‘green power’ as amber
rather than green. Not everyone feels as strongly about ‘natural’ issues as
they might about energy. We need to avoid assuming that the public holds
consistent environmental views.
15
Sparks That Last

POSTCODE POWER
t s t h at Still to test
gges Other terms Futerra would like to test include:
“It su re helping
This was an attempt to explain decentralised energy systems.
Some understood that the term alludes to local power sources.
you’ me way ” 1. Everybody is an energy company
in so
“It means local”
2. Resilient renewables
“It suggests that you’re helping in some way”
3. Grid-free energy
However for others there is a negative link with the more established concept
of the ‘postcode lottery’. 4. DIY energy

“You can get treatment in some parts of the country but not in others”

Therefore, while this phrase has some traction, it must be used consistently Ignored words
for people to be clear about its meaning.
Renewable energy

MICROGENERATION Decentralised energy

Not only was ‘microgeneration’ not understood, it was selected as a disliked
word. The most common interpretation was that ‘micro’ referred to tiny energy
sources, such as might be found in a mobile phone.

“It’s a microchip, isn’t it?”

“Things getting smaller and smaller”

With better words available, a tough decision needs to be made about

continuing to use terms like these which the public doesn’t grasp.

CONFLICT ENERGY
This is one of the terms that raise people’s hackles.

“It makes me angry”

The respondent who wanted to discuss this word chose it because he didn’t
like it. It’s clearly pejorative and in danger of creating a negative reaction.

16 Futerra Words that sell 17

 One Planet What?
The final group of words tested was associated with footprints
and global equity. These were the most difficult to get people to
understand, but the least contentious of all the terms tested.
ONE PLANET LIVING
This was liked, although interestingly no one mentioned having come across
it before.
It was seen to capture a sense of global community and shared values.
“Not going off on our own tangents; everyone pulling together, in the right
direction to stop destroying things; nurturing what we have got; everyone
doing something”
“The governments need to make an impact to get this one off the ground”
“We need to stop destroying things and nurture what we have left”
“Everyone is doing something now”
The most encouraging part of this response is that it is associated with peace
and accord as well as environmental sustainability. However, it was generally
felt to denote government responsibility rather than personal behaviour.
GREEN and CONSCIOUS LIFESTYLES
“Everyo ‘Green lifestyle’ was liked as a straightforward and meaningful statement:
ne
doing s is “What you leave behind”
omethin “Get to the source of the problem; but not obsessive or religious about the
now” g “It’s not about blame, it’s about responsibility”
environment”
A conscious lifestyle reflects a need to think more about the fact that “we live
in a material world. Things I like to do, places I like to go. I identify with that”.
While both were seen as ‘fluffy’ terms, people still felt positively about them.
SQUARE DEAL
The phrase ‘square deal actions’ was associated with positive ethical and
environmental principles.
“If we didn’t care we wouldn’t have Fairtrade”
“We are becoming
“It’s a Fairtrade thing, isn’t it? A square deal is a fair deal”
“We are becoming aware that the Earth is finite”
aware that the This association of footprint with positive impacts as well as negative ones is
Earth is finite”
Again, this term plays on common sense and common language
– and benefits in testing as a result.
18 Futerra Words that sell
GLOBALLY ALERT and CITIZEN CONSUMERS
We assumed that ‘globally alert’ would be regarded as a distant or even
negative term. However, this phrase seems to convey a sense that we can
make a difference together.
“Do what you can, making a difference as individuals”
“This is about not being insular – thinking globally, acting locally”
“You cannot change the world single handed. It’s about being globally aware –
the world’s population can attack the issues”
The term was associated with another, ‘citizen consumers’, which also enjoyed
a positive response.
“We are all responsible for what we do. Responsible for ourselves and our
households”
“It means taking responsibility for yourself”
These two terms don’t seem to suffer from the problem that ‘it refers to
someone else’, and even encourage personal responsibility. While not
necessarily familiar or elegant terms, they tap into a growing feeling of the
need for individual action.
CARBON FOOTPRINT
This term was generally liked and has clear imagery.
“It says it clearly”
However, few had ever heard the term, while one observed that “carbon – you
get that everywhere, don’t you?”
An associated term that was also liked was the idea of a ‘positive footprint’.
So much of the green footprint terminology deals with mitigating negative
impacts that it ignores the desire of many people to make a good impression.
“We all leave a trail behind us. We’d like the world to be a nice place when
they grow up”
“If we could all make our footprints a bit more positive, we could really do
something”
a useful development in the sustainable development terminology.
19
 One Planet What?

CLIMATE-FRIENDLY LIFE DEVELOPING / DEVELOPED WORLD

This term has the potential to communicate a broad spectrum picture of These were surprisingly contentious terms. It was suggested that the phrase
environmentally-conscious living, and it triggers emotional responses. ‘developed world’ is arrogant and hides problems in our own society

“I think this is a bit of a daydream, but I think how lovely it would be for the
children to grow up in such a climate-friendly world. Green fields, fresh air and
less pollution”
However, that response is also a warning signal about the ‘achievability’ of the
term.
“‘This is sarcastic. Developed in what way? We still have a lot of truancy,
poverty …”
“There’s lots of stuff that happens in Third World countries that happens in
developed countries – it’s just hidden”

One person also observed that “we don’t control the climate!” POOR COUNTRIES / RICH COUNTRIES
Associated with ‘developing / developed world’ were the concepts of ‘poor
BLINKERED LIFESTYLE countries / rich countries’, which also raised deep concerns.

Respondents identified with this term and the dilemmas they face. “‘We are dependent on having poor countries”

“I do worry, but it doesn’t stop me getting on a plane”
“People can talk about it but don’t do anything”
“We can’t keep blaming ourselves, choosing to go through life without taking
note of all the issues”
It also evoked anger at the concept of double standards.
“It’s up to the government – why has Prescott got two cars and they tell you
not to get in your car?”
Although understandable and liked, the term is rated amber because of the
apathy and fatalism it generated.
“We have lots of strategies to make sure they stay as poor as long as
possible”
“Are we prepared to give up what we’ve got?”
“We cannot have the whole world wasting at the level we do. Poor countries
have a right not to be poor. As soon as they exercise that right, we have
serious problems”
The whole global equity issue was very emotionally worrisome for participants.
“Very concerning, serious problems around the corner for my children”
These terms therefore have an amber rating: use them with care. Although
those of us involved in sustainable development may use them blithely, they
are value-laden for the public.

o w o r r y , but
“I d ’ t stop
it d o e s n
e g e t t i n g on
m
a plane”

20 Futerra Words that sell 21

One Planet What? Overview: the findings

NORTH / SOUTH
Red terms within the same area were ‘North / South’. When understood in an
international context the terms were disliked. In addition, some respondents
thought the terms referred to the north and south of the UK. Green Words AMBER Words RED Words
words that were
terms that people words that might
“I don’t like it; the North-South divide” easily misunderstood
liked and understood work, but were not
or disliked
entirely successful

MY SLICE OF THE PIE

Waste and Zero waste Wattage wastage Slim bins
Although intended to imply a move towards equity, the concept of ‘my slice of
efficiency Less is more Cut the buzz
the pie’ suggested individualism and people looking after their own interests.
Second chance rubbish
“I’m alright Jack; pull up the ladder” Smart appliances
Energy-greedy
This also spontaneously (and unexpectedly) seemed to initiate anti-American appliances
feeling.

“One American uses as much energy as thirty Indians” Travel and Flight addict Non-essential flying Eco-safe driving
transport Habitual flyer Binge flying
“Americans eat as much as they can, but they don’t know where Canada is. Savvy driving Spurting
They are insular” The MPG challenge
Stress-free motoring
“They’ve got a big slice of the pie”

This term should therefore be avoided unless carefully placed in context.

Rather than generating a feeling that everyone deserves a fair slice, it leads to ENERGY In-house generation Sparks that last Microgeneration
feeling of being ‘hard done by’ in an UK audience. Independent power Green power Conflict energy
Finite energy sources Postcode power

Still to test FOOTPRINTS One Planet Living Climate-friendly life North / South
Other terms Futerra would like to test include: AND GLOBAL Green lifestyle Blinkered lifestyle My slice of the pie
EQUITY Conscious lifestyle Developing /
1. Eco-savvy life Square deal developed world
Globally alert Poor countries / rich
2. Living lightly Citizen consumers countries
Carbon footprint
3. Green legacy
Positive footprint

Ignored words
Environmental footprint

Low-carbon living

22 Futerra Words that sell 23

The research

These research findings centre on qualitative research planned and

commissioned by Futerra, and undertaken by OnEarth.

The qualitative research consisted of two focus groups held in London during
Spring 2007. The aim was to test a series of established and new terms
describing sustainable lifestyles with members of the public, to understand
which ones work, which ones don’t work – and why.

Participants were drawn from a mixture of life stages: parents, young adults
and older people. One focus group was composed of people from the socio-
economic group ABC1, and the other from C2DE. 1

Group 1 Group 2

Gender Male/Female (4/4) Male/Female (4/4)

Age 25-44/45-64/65+(3/3/2) 25-44/45-64/65+(3/3/2

Socio-economic ABC1 (8) C2DE (8)

group

We excluded people describing themselves as ‘environmental activists’ to

ensure that no-one in the room could present themselves as an ‘expert’ to the
other participants.

What next?
The direction of this research is fascinating, but it’s only one study. Focus
groups in different parts of the country, drawn from urban and rural
populations and including a greater variety of demographics, would greatly
increase the insights available.

Futerra intends to build upon and supplement this research over the coming
year.

1 The socio-economic grades A, B, C1, C2, D and E are often grouped into ABC1 and C2DE.
These are taken to equate to ‘middle class’ and ‘working class’ respectively.

24 Futerra Words that sell

Thanks to the authors of the following books:

The Power of Words: Advertising tricks of the trade

Richard F Taflinger

The Language Instinct: How the mind creates language

Steven Pinker
Special thanks to OnEarth
www.onearthresearch.co.uk

Futerra Sustainability Communications

4 Charterhouse Square
London
EC1M 6EE
www.futerra.co.uk

+44 (0)20 7549 4700

info@futerra.co.uk