Ecology
Trust in environmental claims by companies and brands

Trust in environmental claims by companies and brands

This survey measures how much people trust environmental claims made by companies and brands, which wording and evidence they find convincing, what creates doubts, whether respondents verify such claims, and what could increase trust.

Use template

The "Trust in environmental claims by companies and brands" template explores how skeptical or convinced people are when they see labels like "eco", "bio" or "carbon neutral". It captures overall trust, how often such claims are noticed, and whether people bother to check the evidence behind them. Use it to understand real perceptions of green marketing and where credibility breaks down.

What the “Trust in environmental claims by companies and brands” survey measures

The survey measures a person's baseline trust in green claims on a five-point scale, how frequently they encounter such messaging on products and in advertising, and which specific claims they see most ("eco/environmentally friendly", "natural ingredients", "recyclable", "carbon neutral", "safe for nature"). A source-based rating question shows how much trust shifts depending on where a claim appears — independent certification, a sustainability report, advertising, brand social media, NGOs or influencers. It also pinpoints the exact triggers of doubt (vague wording, no evidence, small print, packaging-only changes, past scandals, overblown "100% eco" promises) and which corrective measures — certification, concrete numbers, verifiable sources, third-party audits, penalties — would move the needle.

Who the “Trust in environmental claims by companies and brands” template is for

It fits sustainability and ESG teams validating how their messaging lands, brand and marketing managers auditing claims before a campaign, consumer-goods and retail companies benchmarking category perception, and market researchers or agencies studying greenwashing sentiment. NGOs, regulators and educators running awareness studies on eco-labeling will also find the question set directly usable.

How to adapt the template to your needs

Swap the list of claims in the multiple-choice question to match your category — cosmetics, food, fashion, electronics — or replace generic examples with your own product wording. Add branching so respondents who "don't trust at all" get a follow-up open question about why, and hide the verification question for people who never notice claims. You can turn the source-trust matrix into your own channel mix, extend the measures list with region-specific eco-labels, or drop the purchase-behavior block if you only need perception data.

Questions and answer options

Question type: single choice.
Answer options:
— Trust completely
— Rather trust
— Rather don’t trust
— Don’t trust at all
— Hard to say
Question type: single choice.
Answer options:
— Very often
— Often
— Sometimes
— Rarely
— Almost never
— Hard to say
Question type: multiple choice.
Answer options:
— “Eco / environmentally friendly”
— “Natural ingredients”
— “Bio / organic”
— “Plastic-free / less plastic”
— “Recycled packaging / made from recycled materials”
— “Recyclable”
— “Carbon neutral / emissions offset”
— “Safe for nature / ocean / animals”
Question type: single choice.
Answer options:
— Almost always
— Often
— Sometimes
— Rarely
— Never
— I don’t come across such claims
— Hard to say
Question type: multiple rating.
Answer options:
— Independent certification / eco-label on the packaging
— Company website (product description, sustainability policy)
— Company sustainability report
— Advertising (TV/banners/outdoor ads)
— Brand social media
— Media and reviews (not from the brand)
— Environmental NGOs
— Bloggers / influencers
Question type: multiple choice.
Answer options:
— Too vague wording without specifics (“eco”, “green”)
— No clear evidence (certificate, numbers, links)
— Small print and complex wording
— The claim is about packaging, but the product itself doesn’t change
— Contradictions (they say one thing but do another)
— The company has been involved in scandals / misleading claims before
— Overly bold promises (“100% eco-friendly”)
— It’s hard to compare alternatives and understand what’s better
Question type: single-answer matrix.
Answer options:
— I choose a product with an eco claim if the price is about the same
— I’m willing to pay a bit more if there is evidence
— I compare several brands by environmental criteria
— I check labels/certifications when I see an eco claim
— I rather avoid eco claims because I don’t trust them
Question type: multiple rating.
Answer options:
— Independent certification and clear labeling
— Specific numbers and methodology (what was measured and how)
— Links to verifiable sources and reports
— A clear “before/after” comparison (what changed in the product/packaging)
— Regular checks and third-party audits
— Penalties for misleading environmental claims
— Simple explanations on packaging without complex terms

Similar survey templates

Frequently asked questions

It is narrowly focused on environmental messaging — the claims themselves ("recyclable", "carbon neutral"), the sources that carry them, and the specific doubts they raise. A general brand survey wouldn't separate an independent eco-label from a brand's own advertising, which is exactly what drives credibility here.
It reveals that identical wording is judged very differently depending on where it appears. Comparing scores for independent certification, sustainability reports, advertising and influencers shows which channels earn belief and which are dismissed as marketing, so you know where to place evidence.
The doubt-drivers question (vague terms, no proof, packaging-only changes, contradictions, past scandals, "100% eco" promises) maps directly onto greenwashing signals. High selection rates there tell you which patterns audiences already read as suspicious.
You can remove it, but it's valuable: it links stated trust to action — whether people pay more for proof, compare brands on eco criteria, check certifications, or avoid eco claims entirely — turning abstract sentiment into likely buying behavior.