There is a strong disconnect between the number of people who say they care about the health of the planet and the number who adopt positive environmental behaviours such as buying eco friendly products or recycling at work.

For those in the business of driving sustainable change, it can be tempting to start appealing to people's "greenness" and try to create a compelling argument, which encourages them to do the right thing for the planet. Unfortunately, if we only focus on green attributes, we appeal to the 10-15% of the population that are likely to be doing the "green thing" anyway.

Guilt doesn't work for the majority of people, and according to Futerra, the UK based sustainability communications agency, "no-one wants to be an environmentalist". At Planet Ark, we believe the answer lies in revisiting a communication fundamental - finding out what people want. When it comes to doing something positive for the environment, most people want to make better buying choices in their everyday lives, waste less and save money, and feel connected to their communities - at home and at work. The question then becomes, how can we help them do that?

For some clear thinking on consumer behaviour regarding green products, check out Why Brands Need to Flip the Funnel on Green Innovations by our very own director, Howard Parry-Husbands of Pollinate Research.

Then download Futerra's 10 Rules For Communicating Sustainable Development as a reminder for when you are developing new communications.

And for those of you who were hoping this article would be more along the line of "Fifty Shades of Grey", we're sorry!