No for burgers and soft drinks .. The slogan of many for fear of climate change

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Consumers worried about the environment are limiting their spending on meat and soft drinks and are trying to cut plastic waste and the trend will accelerate as climate change fears grow, a global survey showed on Monday.

About a third of respondents in the survey of 24 countries in Europe, Latin America and Asia expressed concern for the environment and half of them said they were taking steps to reduce their impact on the environment.

"We are already seeing small steps to cut spending on meat, bottled drinks and goods such as wet wipes," data analysis firm Kantar said in a survey report.

“The richer the market, the greater the focus on environmental protection and plastic reduction. In the future, we can expect more shoppers interested in preserving the environment in countries where GDP is growing. ”

More than 65,000 people participated in the survey and showed that consumers in Western Europe were more likely to seek to reduce the impact of humans on the environment, while most Asian and Latin American people paid little attention to the issue.

Chile was the only exception in Latin America and the country with the world's largest consumer of environmental issues, with 37 percent of respondents in Chile expressing a move to make a difference.

Kantar predicted that live meat sales in Britain could fall by as much as 4 percent over the next two years if awareness of environmental issues persists.

“Our study indicates a strong demand for environmentally friendly products that are sold at competitive prices and are readily available,” she said.

The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change said last month that global meat consumption should fall to reduce global warming and that plant foods could contribute to reducing carbon dioxide emissions.

Kantar said 48 percent of shoppers felt that consumer goods companies should do more to reduce plastic waste.

By 2025, dozens of companies, including Nestle, Coca-Cola, Unilever, Wal-Mart and Carrefour, had signed a pledge to pack goods in reusable, recyclable or biodegradable bags.