Many Would Sacrifice to Stay Green

A recent survey conducted by Canada's online job search portal Monster.ca shows a huge percentage of those polled would be willing to ditch their jobs for employment at greener firms.

The survey showed that 78 percent of 3,660 respondents said they "would leave their current job for an employer who is 'more environmentally friendly.' "

Monster.ca took a second poll, in which 81 percent of 1,275 people characterized their employers as polluting the environment, ignoring environmental concerns, or "in need of help to become greener." Just 18 percent, Monster.ca notes, could agree with the statement, "My employer is extremely green." And in yet a third poll, 57 percent of 1,211 respondents indicated they would like to see their employer encourage green initiatives like carpooling, public transportation, or biking to work.

Another survey, sponsored by Tandberg ASA (OSE: TAA) and conducted by U.K. research firm Ipsos MORI JV, found that 12 percent of 16,823 consumers in 15 countries want corporations to take the lead in limiting the effects of climate change.

We quote from a Tandberg's prepared statement, issued today:

Certainly, it's heartening to hear folk standing up for the environment. But how willing are they to take action?

Tandberg asked consumers to rate their preference for dealing with green suppliers, and in geographically tallying the results, China came out with the highest percentage -- 67 percent -- of respondents voting for green, while Canada came in with just 34 percent. (Of U.S. respondents, 42 percent preferred consuming green.)

Clearly, word isn't really matching deed.

The surveys also prompt soul-searching: How willing am I to stand up for my beliefs? Would I look for another job because my employer was too natural resource-intensive? (Luckily, online publishing is pretty tree-friendly, so I'm spared that concern. As to the electronics involved, I'll get back to you on that.)

One thing is clear: While corporations must bear the brunt of the move to go greener, individuals will be faced with tough choices, too.So here is an informal survey: How many of you readers out there would leave a job because your firm wasn't green enough? Or, put another way, what would you personally consider unacceptable environmental activity by an employer? Hit that message board, or if you'd like to contact Byte and Switch's editors directly, send us a message