Based on Deloitte's research, 65% of people who considered themselves middle-income earners had a greater degree of sustainable purchasing.

While 59% of individuals who identified as lower-income earners said they occasionally or regularly buy sustainable goods.

However, the Global Sustainability Survey, which gathered feedback from 1,000 Irish customers, discovered that the price of sustainable items affects people's propensity to purchase them.

41% of respondents polled stated that the high cost prevented them from purchasing sustainable goods in the previous four weeks.

This percentage increases to 53% of people with lower earnings and 37% of those with higher incomes.

Glenn Gillard, Head of Sustainability at Deloitte, stated that the research shows that price remains a barrier for consumers. "We can see from the research that cost continues to be a barrier for consumers, and the ability to produce sustainable products in an affordable manner is a key challenge for businesses, given the research, development, and production changes required," Gillard continued.

"Policy support through green incentives will also be essential to make that transformation possible. Companies who adopt these practises early and before they are required to can dominate the market because additional regulation in this area is anticipated.

The majority of consumers—nearly half—said they have altered their own behaviour in support of the environment.

But only 16% of respondents said they avoided optional or leisure flights and always used lower-emission modes of transportation.

We can see from this research that we still have a long way to go, but sustainable transport is an essential component for Ireland to reach its targets under the Climate Action Plan by 2030, said Glenn Gillard.

Although there are positive evidence that people are considering their options, most people still base their selections primarily on other considerations, such as cost.

A little more than a third of poll respondents indicated they believe their employer is taking adequate action to combat climate change.

One in four people with lower self-reported incomes concurred that they were, compared to 30% of those with moderate incomes and 49% of people with higher incomes.

A little over a third of those with higher assessed incomes indicated they had considered changing employment in order to work for a business that was more environmentally conscious or had less of an impact on the environment.

Comparatively, 12% of self-declared low- and middle-income earners fell into this category.