Fifty-six percent of respondents in a recent Oliver Wyman Forum global consumer sentiment survey rated climate change as one of the three most pressing issues of our time. That was ahead of economic equality (38%), COVID-19 protocols (37%), and racial equality (25%), according to respondents in Brazil, China, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

The increased awareness could impact the bottom line. Three quarters of the climate concerned said they would be less likely to purchase a product if they learned that a company was acting in a way that conflicted with their values. Almost 30% of consumers who list climate change as a top issue and became involved in some form of activism during the pandemic are already boycotting companies.