Green Builder Media’s COGNITION Smart Data surveyed consumers about their attitudes around purchasing carbon offsets and in the two year period between 2024 and 2026, there was more than a 10 times increase in consumers who already buy or were planning to buy more carbon offsets.
This significant and positive shift in attitudes towards purchasing carbon offsets represents a growing awareness and acceptance of carbon offsets as a tool for personal environmental responsibility.
Engagement and Intent to Purchase
In July 2024, only 4% of respondents had purchased or wanted to purchase carbon offsets. That group grew to only 5% in March 2025, but then surged to 46% in the July 2026 results. The pick up in the last year indicates that consumers are aware of the product and understanding the important impact of carbon offsets on the future environment.
Similarly, respondents who said that they haven’t bought carbon offsets yet but they want to also experienced large growth. This group started at at 9% in July 2024 and grew to 18% by July 2026. This represents a growing pool of potential new adopters.
In addition, the respondents who said that they were not interested in carbon offsets was at 42% in July 2024 and dropped to just 12% by July 2026. This sharp decline suggests that the barriers to engagement, such as skepticism or perceived irrelevance, are diminishing. Finally, those who responded that they don’t know or don’t care about carbon offsets dropped from 21% in 2024 to 7% in 2026.
This positive trend in consumer sentiment regarding carbon offsets presents significant opportunities for organizations involved in carbon offsetting initiatives to further educate and engage with a receptive consumer base and for it to become a regular part of homebuilding businesses and homeowner’s offerings.
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