Availability of Information

• Initial research indicates that there is limited, publicly available information on B2B buyers of eco-friendly products.
• A September 2019 report by Uppsala University corroborates this finding, by stating that "while environmental and brand management have been researched thoroughly in business-to-consumer (B2C) markets, similar research in business-to-business (B2B) contexts is still scarce."
• In addition to this public search, we scanned our proprietary research database of over 1 million sources and were unable to find any specific research reports that address the stated goals of this research.
• However, the research team identified two reports that provided useful, initial findings related to the profile of B2B purchasers who make sustainable/eco-friendly buying decisions on behalf of their company. Key findings from these reports are detailed below

2019 Demand Gen Report

• According to a compilation of research published in a May 2019 Demand Gen Report, B2B buyers have recently added "brand values and philanthropy" as new criteria to their key purchase considerations.
• Specifically, 87% of buyers will purchase a product because the company supports an "issue they care about."
• Additionally, 76% or business purchasers will "refuse to buy" from a company if they learn that it supports an issue that is "contrary to their beliefs."
• Notably, this trend appears to be driven in part by the rise of Millennials in the workforce, given that 73% of Millennials are now involved in business purchase decisions while 85% of this generation report that it is "extremely or very important" for brands to "implement programs to improve the environment."

2019 Uppsala University Green Brand Equity Study

• In parallel, a September 2019 research study by Uppsala University revealed more context into the psychographic profile of buyers who make sustainable purchases for their businesses, including what drives such purchases.
• While the research confirmed that B2B purchase decisions are "mainly rational and financially driven," it also found that "emotional factors" impact these decisions "to a greater extent than previously known."
• Notably, the reserach found that corporate buyer decisions were influenced by larger company policies related to environmentalism.
• In parallel, professional buyers ' personal opinions on sustainability and environmentalism (in either direction) were shown to influence their purchase decisions both in a professional and personal capacity.
• Perhaps more notably, buyer's personal support of environmentalism was "noticeable" in their B2B buying decisions, even in cases where their company did not promote formal policies around environmental sustainability.