BBC World Service

BBC World Service Radio

World Service Radio

In the Balance

Discussion & Talk

Factual: Money

The biggest financial stories and why they matter to us all.

In the Balance: Putting Your Money Where Your Mouth Is

ethics crop.jpg

18/08/2018 GMT

Putting Your Money Where Your Mouth Is

BBC World Service - In the Balance, Putting Your Money Where Your Mouth Is

The gap between our ethics and what we spend our money on.

The gap between our ethics and what we spend our money on - why does it exist, how can you bridge it and should brands be doing more?

Do you worry about plastic packaging, perfumes tested on animals, or whether child labour was responsible for your jeans? How often do those values actually affect your spending?

Surveys suggest a majority of global consumers are concerned about the environment, animal welfare and workers' rights, but what we spend on ethical products is tiny in comparison. 

So how do we explain this so-called ethical consumption gap and how difficult is it to bridge? Plus, who is at fault for the lack of spending on ethical goods - consumers, or the brands themselves? What response have companies made to growing ethical concerns, and can they be encouraged to do more?

Contributors: Marylyn Carrigan, professor of sustainable and ethical marketing at Keele University; William Sankey, founder and director of The Ethical Company Organisation; and Alden Wicker, founder and editor of the website EcoCult. 

(Picture: A stressed young woman standing in front of a clothes rail. Credit: Getty Images)

BBC World Service East and Southern Africa Schedule

BBC World Service East and Southern Africa

BBC World Service Australasia

BBC World Service Online

BBC World Service schedule for American satellite radio and the Caribbean

BBC World Service Americas and the Caribbean

BBC World Service South Asia

BBC World Service Europe and the Middle East

BBC World Service West and Central Africa Schedule

Accessibility links

Programme Index

In the Balance

Putting Your Money Where Your Mouth Is

Genres

Formats

Brand

BBC World Service

About BBC World Service