Generation Z, post-95s born, is reshaping how brands are approaching the public.
As new emerging consumers, Gen Z is now challenging brands to build trust for the future, expecting companies to be purpose-driven and socially conscious.
If this is true all over the world, different are the causes and the priorities from country to country.
出生于95年后的这代年轻人正在改变品牌走近公众的方式。
作为新兴的消费者，95后向品牌发起挑战，要求为了长远发展的公司与消费者建立信任，以目标为导向并具有社会意识。
如果在世界各地都是如此，那么各国之间的动机与优先事项就会变得有所不同。
The global trend marks people as personally responsible for making the difference but actively believing that companies must drive action on social & environmental issues.
作为世界的潮流，个人社会责任使人与人之间拉开差距。而公司则更需要通过对社会与环境问题的行为作出表率。
The younger consumers are, on average, more willing to pay more for sustainable products and brands, followed by the vast majority of Millennials.
平均而言，年轻的消费者更愿意为环保产品和品牌买单，尤其是千禧一代。
What about China?
在中国是什么情况呢？
Although the potential of Chinese sustainable-savvy consumers is continually on the rise, it has to be said that it is yet at its early stage.
The main focus for consumers is to prioritize China's development and locally sourced brands and products.
尽管在中国热衷环保的消费者人数正不断增长，但这个数字还仅仅是个开端。对中国的消费者来说，应该优先鼓励利用本地资源的品牌和产品。
If sustainable traveling and eco-friendly hotels are becoming popular among the more affluent and highly-educated consumers, a more extensive look has to be done on the fashion industry that finds in Chinese consumers its most powerful market.
According to TMall data recycled material, sustainable fashion concepts, and vintage are among the most researched, when choosing a brand. However, these values reflect more an aesthetic of sustainability, rather than an actual environmental impact of the brand. What does it mean? It's cool to look "green", it's harder to be "green".
如果环保旅行方式与环保酒店在大人物与高端消费者中变得更加流行，那么在中国最强的时尚行业中我们应该有所寻求。
根据天猫的数据显示，人们在选择品牌时，“回收材料”、“环保时尚概念”和“经典”是最流行的搜索词。然而，这些反映的更多的是对可回收的趋向价值，而不是品牌实际上对环境造成的影响。这意味着它们可以看上去很酷，而实际上并没你想象的那么“绿色环保”。
Style, price, and brand reputation are still the most important values for consumers, while sustainability is not among the first concerns.
对消费者来说，风格、价格与品牌知名度仍然是最重要的因素，而可持续并不列在首要位置。
So, what are the main barriers for Chinese consumers when talking about sustainable brands?
那么，中国消费者对可持续品牌的主要疑虑有哪些呢？
Generally speaking, the Chinese market is very different from any other Western country market. It is huge and complex, so it's not surprising if 21% of consumers don't know where to find sustainable brands, and 19% don't understand what sustainable products actually mean.
中国市场与西方世界大相径庭，既巨大又复杂，不难理解有21％的消费者不知如何找到可持续品牌，而19％不知道可持续品牌的概念。
And due to the big offer of the market, famous brands with a well-known reputation and the support of popular KOLs and celebrities are the ones the consumers trust the most.
因为市场供应量大，消费者最信得过口碑好的大品牌，尤其是获得KOL和名人代言的宣传。
It goes with it that Chinese consumers expect brands to take a stand on important issues, and we understand this necessity.
中国消费者希望品牌会在像环保这样的重要问题上发声，我们也觉得这有必要。
Brands have to be the one taking the lead.
品牌需要主导市场。
This is why many international brands are concentrating on raising environmental awareness on the Chinese market with small collective actions: La Mer cooperated with Tencent QQ bringing people together for an ocean clean-up project, Nike partnered with the local brand Reclothing Bank to upcycle unused items and Adidas made a campaign on marine protection.
因此，许多国际品牌通过合作来提高中国市场的环保意识，比如：La Mer与腾讯QQ协作，号召人们一起清洁海洋；耐克与当地品牌“再造衣银行”合作，回收处理未使用的物品；而阿迪达斯发起了一场海洋保护活动。
In this article, we are not going to determine if those are cases of greenwashing, mere marketing actions. The attention has to be redirected to the approach that big brands are using to communicate with the new generation of consumers that need to be educated on sustainability.
我们的这篇文章没有深入研究这些市场营销活动是否有“漂绿”行为，而意在指出大品牌通过宣传活动给有必要提升环保意识的新兴消费者提供方向。
Recently we saw an increase in sustainable actions, like hotels and F&B industries limiting single-use plastic toiletries and cutleries. Although the trend is positive and full of hope, the trigger was the government's action towards sustainability.
最近，我们的确看到了社会上更环保的行为，比如酒店和餐饮行业减少使用一次性卫生用品和餐具。不过，这些都是政府为了环保做出的规定。
This means that the purpose of brands and Chinese consumers is still a commodity, and not yet a solid starting point.
Is this bad? Not necessarily. We know that China plays its own rules, with a different social scheme and leading factors.
这意味着各大品牌和中国的消费者仍然以商品为中心，环保并不是两者的出发点。
这不好吗？ 不一定。 我们知道中国总有自己的特色，有着不同的社会制度和主导因素。
We can say with no doubt, that the young generation is slowly but steadily moving towards sustainability.
Chinese people have a rooted trust in their government's actions, and, as consumers, they still expect from the brands to be responsible in the first place.
我们依然坚信年轻一代正逐步向可持续的生活方式靠近。
国人信任政府，而作为消费者，他们仍然希望品牌首先带个头。
If you belong to GEN Z, what is your relationship between brands and sustainability? How does it affect your choices?
如果你是个95后，你对品牌和可持续的关系有什么看法么？这对你的选择又有什么影响？
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