By emily

Jan. 23, 2009 - Consumers may be spending less in the down economy, but they're still spending on green products, according to a pair of consumer surveys out this week.

A Boston Consulting Group (BCG) survey (PDF) of 9,000 consumers in North America, Europe, China, and Japan finds that more shoppers "systematically" purchased green products in 2008 than in 2007. Some 34% of Europeans (up 2% from 2007) say they would continue to systematically look for and purchase green products. According to a complementary survey of more than a thousand U.S. consumers, nearly a third (32%) say they still look for or often buy green products.

"Will consumers continue to care about green issues now that the economy has taken a nosedive? The answer, judging from our research, is a resounding yes," says Catherine Roche, coauthor of the BCG report.

Eighty-eight percent of consumers define themselves as "participating in sustainable behaviors," according to a separate study by the Hartman Group. More than three-quarters of consumers say they consider environment and social aspects at times in making purchase decisions, and a third are willing to pay more for green products, that survey finds.

"During these tough economic times, sustainable products create that 'sweet spot' that make consumers more optimistic about the choices they are making," suggests Alison Worthington, Hartman Group's managing director of sustainability.