LONDON, September 6 /PRNewswire/ --

- 'Future Friendly' Launch Report Confirms Environmental Issues are Galvanising a New Breed of 'Citizen' and Welcomes a Reward Scheme for Local Heroes

A partnership between four of Britain's top environmental organisations and leading consumer brands launches today aiming to help and inspire people to live more sustainable lives. By using products displaying the Future Friendly logo shoppers will save energy, water or reduce waste. The initiative is backed by the Energy Saving Trust, Global Cool, Waste Watch and Waterwise.

Findings from the Future Friendly launch report reveal that more Britons are waking up to individual action on the environment, stating that sustainable living is part of a new style of citizenship and that sustainable living should soon become the social 'norm'. The comprehensive survey by leading think tank The Future Laboratory highlights that Britons now realise they can have a greater impact than government with 49% stating it is down to the individual to take the lead. 32% of young people 18-24 think being environmentally aware is a matter of personal politics, 41% believing individual action is the only way forward to combat climate change.

The survey also shows that 72% say they care about saving the environment and 47% believe environmental awareness marks a good citizen from a bad one. While politicians scored 5% as a key influencer the media holds the most potential to change behaviour - TV scoring 51%, newspapers 34% and the internet 26%.

Green: The New Norm. According to the research, 68% of those surveyed said that the notion of "green" would soon become obsolete - not through any lack of interest but rather that the majority viewed behaviours like recycling (91%), switching lights off (66%) and driving Hybrid cars (51%) as becoming standard practice within the next 20 years.

"The study highlights the impact and importance of everyone doing small things everyday - from unplugging mobile phone chargers and not leaving a tap running to switching off lights and turning off TVs - making simple everyday changes can all contribute to making the average household more sustainable,' says environmental expert Joanna Yarrow. 'Behaviour described as 'green' today will become absorbed happily into everyday life'.

Gender Divide

The research also highlighted a distinct gender divide when it comes to attitudes towards the environment with men more prone to grander gestures and women favouring everyday, more practical steps to achieve the same result. Of the lifestyle measures people are already taking, women outperform men in most categories such as recycling (87%), turning off lights (84%) and not leaving appliances on standby (72% vs. 65% of men) while men prefer technological or mechanical approaches to problem solving such as insulating their homes (41% vs. 35%) and cycling more (13% vs. 7%). Women were also more likely than men to use products that would enable small but consistent changes (77% v. 65%). Men however tend to feel global conditions are outside their control, only 13% felt that things they do now could make a difference to the future, while one in four women believe their actions can and do make a difference.

"Everyday steps, acorns, or token gestures - whatever you would like to call them, changing consumer habits is vital to sustainable living, albeit by degrees," says Future Friendly spokesperson Sir Trevor McDonald. "Large scale events have helped raise awareness, an important step forward, but they won't trigger a revolution. As the Future Friendly survey highlights evolution as the most likely option with individual action at the heart of such change."

The Future Friendly Awards - Celebrating 'Person Power'

The four independent non profit environmental organisations will partner 'The Future Friendly Awards', a high profile nationwide search for local heroes who have changed their own environmental behaviour and have inspired others to do the same. To enter someone that has inspired you to be more environmentally aware log on to http://www.futurefriendly.co.uk and nominate them now.

"These awards are not for grandiose schemes but for that one person who despite all the doom and gloom decides to do what he or she can on a local personal level to do something different," says Matthew Wright of the Energy Saving Trust. "Things do have to change, and they'll only change one person at a time. We all have a responsibility to do our bit when it comes to the environment, whether as individuals, government, manufacturers, or retailers. If we can start in our own homes and at a local level, we can achieve great things together. "

There are four Future Friendly Award categories: The Energy Saving Trust's Community Action Award, Waterwise's Innovation Award, Waste Watch's Local Champion Award and Global Cool's Creativity Award. Entries close 30th November.

Notes to Editors

Future Friendly is a partnership between leading sustainability experts, the Energy Saving Trust, Waterwise, Waste Watch and Global Cool and Procter and Gamble brands, Fairy Liquid, Fairy Aqua Bursts, Lenor, Flash and Ariel. By using products displaying the Future Friendly logo shoppers will be saving energy, water or reducing waste as a result.

For simple advice and practical steps for leading a more sustainable life, visit http://www.futurefriendly.co.uk or visit leading supermarkets participating in the scheme.

EST (Energy Saving Trust) is one of the UK's leading organisations set up to address the damaging effects of climate change. It aims to cut carbon dioxide emissions - the main greenhouse gas causing climate change - by promoting the sustainable and efficient use of energy. It is an independent, non-profit making organisation and acts as a bridge between government, consumers, trade, businesses, local authorities and the energy market. For more information, http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk

GLOBAL COOL is a 10 year campaign addressing the climatic tipping point by moving a billion people worldwide to reduce carbon emissions by one tonne per year and create a significant slowdown in global warming. Global Cool is backed by some of the biggest names in entertainment including the Scissor Sisters, Orlando Bloom, The Killers, Flea, Kate Bosworth, Sienna Miller and Leonardo DiCaprio. For more information, http://www.globalcool.org

WASTE WATCH is a leading environmental organisation working to change the way people use the world's natural resources. It is a national, independent, not-for-profit organisation and a registered charity. Waste Watch aims to educate people on ways to reduce all forms of waste through its work in education, communications and research. By making changes to our daily lives and by changing the world around us - at home, in school and in the workplace - we can all make a big difference. Waste Watch exists to show everyone how they can make that difference. Form ore information, http://www.wastewatch.org.uk

WATERWISE is the leading authority on water efficiency and focused on reducing the amount of water we all use at home and at work by 2010. Waterwise believes the key to water efficiency is reducing waste not restricting use. It is an independent, not-for-profit non-governmental organisation. Waterwise is committed to sustainable development and works with key partners in water companies, governments (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and local), manufacturers, retailers, NGOs, environmentalists, regulators, agriculture, business, domestic consumers and the media. For more information, http://www.waterwise.org.uk

To enter the Future Friendly Awards, visit http://www.futurefriendly.co.uk

For more information, pictures or to talk to one the sustainability experts, please contact Sarah Higgins on +44-(0)-20-7413-3208, sarah.higgins@hillandknowlton.com