The FINANCIAL — Whether you’re a renter or an owner, there are many things that can be done to make your home more environmentally-friendly.
However, in many cases, money is the main obstacle to greener houses. According to the latest ING International Survey, 57% of Europeans find housing in their local area expensive, let alone making it more sustainable.
For many, the upfront cost of greening their homes is too high. This is according to ING’s international survey into sustainable homes. We asked almost 15,000 people in Europe, the US and Australia about the sustainability of their homes, the cost of sustainable housing, and how we could motivate them into going green.
Money is an issue
While 70% of Europeans say they try to minimise the environmental impact of their home, more than half agree they could do more. However, of this group, 47% say they don’t have the money to do so. A further one in four say they don’t know how, pointing to a need for more environmental education.
At the same time, the majority of Europeans believe they already do enough to reduce their daily impact on the environment, for example by recycling, and affordability requirements trump those of sustainability.
Discussion about this post