Sustainability in Finance: How Consumer Expectations Are Shaping the Future
Kantar Polska for Future Finance Poland, 2025
The report explores the evolving attitudes of consumers toward financial services in the context of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) and sustainability. It highlights the increasing importance of sustainability in brand perception and consumer decision-making. Key findings include:
- Sustainability as a Competitive Advantage: Brands with strong ESG performance tend to experience higher growth, with sustainability contributing significantly to brand value.
- Regulatory Impact: The EU’s ESG regulations, including the Green Deal and CSRD, are driving increased corporate sustainability efforts. In Poland, over 3,000 companies were required to submit ESG reports in 2024.
- Consumer Expectations and Trust: Consumers are becoming more conscious of sustainability, with clear divisions among four consumer segments: Actives, Believers, Considerers, and Dismissers. Trust remains a key factor, but skepticism about corporate greenwashing is rising.
- Financial Services in the ESG Context: While financial institutions rank relatively high in sustainability perception, concerns remain about issues such as economic inequality, ethical investment, and corporate responsibility.
- Future Trends: The demand for sustainable financial products is expected to grow, and brands must align their strategies with evolving consumer expectations and regulatory requirements.
“We are at a pivotal moment when sustainability and ESG are becoming increasingly important in public discourse. Recent geopolitical events and decisions in both the United States and Europe may suggest that social and environmental responsibility in business is losing significance. Nothing could be further from the truth! At Kantar, we firmly state that interest in sustainability is growing. By analyzing consumer declarations and preferences worldwide, we see that attitudes and behaviors are also diversifying as expectations and awareness rise.
Polarization in the area of sustainability within our local market is a reality we identified months ago through analyses from the Sustainability Sector Index. The latest results (for 2024) confirm this phenomenon, also highlighting other key trends in the context of generational and regional differences.
The intensification of discourse around sustainability and growing consumer expectations serves as a crucial signal for companies and brands, including the financial sector. The trends we observe impact both individual and business clients.
In the face of a changing reality and the evolving nature of sustainability, it is more critical than ever whether—and how—brands make (and fulfill) promises to their audiences” – says Katarzyna Zalewska, Head of Sustainability Expertise at Kantar Poland.
For more details, the full report is available for download below.
