33 Sustainability Survey Questions: Types, Use Cases & Samples

Consumer Environmental Awareness & Purchase Intent Survey

Why and When to Use This Survey Type

Before introducing your next eco-friendly product, wouldn’t it be smart to know if your customers actually care? Enter the consumer environmental awareness and purchase intent survey—a fun, friendly tool to decode shopper values and willingness to pay a little extra to save the planet.

Use this survey:

• Before launching a new product
• While segmenting your market to see which audience loves green brands most
• After running a sustainability campaign to check for changes in attitudes

Knowing what your shoppers know (and what they don’t) helps you craft irresistible marketing and educational content. You’ll discover which eco claims move the needle and which are, frankly, a yawn.

Plus, these surveys make budgeting for green upgrades much less of a guessing game. If your consumers signal they’ll support your greener choices with their wallets, you gain the confidence to invest in recycled packaging, ethical sourcing, or carbon offset projects.

Five Sample Questions

1. How familiar are you with carbon-neutral product labels?

2. Which sustainability claims most influence your buying decisions?

3. What price premium (if any) would you pay for a product with 100% recycled packaging?

4. Rate the importance of a brand’s ethical sourcing on your purchase choice.

5. Which channels do you trust most for information on a company’s environmental impact?

A clever survey here can turn idle curiosity into real consumer loyalty—eco-wins all around.

Despite increased environmental awareness, many consumers do not change their purchasing behaviors due to factors like cost, convenience, and personal habits. (en.wikipedia.org)

Supply-Chain Sustainability Assessment Survey

Why and When to Use This Survey Type

A company’s green credentials are only as strong as its weakest supplier—so supply-chain sustainability assessments are not just a good idea, they’re essential for ESG leadership. This survey type helps you shine a light into every nook and cranny of your upstream partners’ practices.

Deploy this survey:

• When onboarding new vendors to clarify your expectations from day one
• As a regular check-in during annual supplier audits
• Whenever you suspect a risk or want to strengthen your next ESG report

Transparency and accountability are the name of the game. By surveying suppliers directly, you help weed out weak points, discover potential compliance issues, and set the stage for collaborative improvement—not finger-pointing.

And let’s not forget: joint sustainability Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are much easier to agree on when you both start with honest self-assessment.

Five Sample Questions

1. Does your organization track Scope 1 & Scope 2 emissions?

2. What percentage of your raw materials are sustainably certified?

3. How do you ensure fair labor practices across sub-suppliers?

4. Describe any waste-reduction targets you have met in the past 12 months.

5. Are you willing to collaborate on joint sustainability KPIs with our company?

A healthy supply chain survey is your chance to create a resilient, risk-proof, and truly green partnership ecosystem.

Corporate Carbon-Footprint Baseline Survey

Why and When to Use This Survey Type

Diving into the deep end of climate action? The corporate carbon-footprint baseline survey is your map to uncharted territory, helping establish exactly where you are on the emissions scale.

This survey is vital:

• Before setting ambitious science-based targets (like those for SBTi compliance)
• Prior to choosing offset strategies or renewable energy investments
• For benchmarking and year-on-year tracking of progress

Knowing your carbon baseline allows you to spot which facilities, business trips, or operational quirks are running up your emissions tally. This, in turn, focuses your attention—and budgets—on areas that maximize impact.

With clear data in hand, your sustainability roadmap becomes much less guesswork, far more action.

Five Sample Questions

1. Estimate annual electricity consumption in kWh for each facility.

2. How many business-travel miles were logged last fiscal year?

3. What proportion of company vehicles are hybrid or electric?

4. Which renewable-energy sources are currently in use?

5. List top three operational processes contributing to greenhouse-gas emissions.

Solid baselining makes it way easier to tell a credible climate story to investors, regulators, and employees alike.

Conducting a corporate carbon footprint analysis enables companies to identify major emission sources and implement targeted reduction strategies, leading to improved operational efficiency and cost savings. (dge.ee)

Community Impact & Social Responsibility Survey

Why and When to Use This Survey Type

Ever wondered what your neighbors think of your big “green” promises? Cue the community impact & social responsibility survey—a tool that lets you listen rather than just lecture.

Use this survey:

• When going through permitting processes for new sites
• Before launching or reporting on CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) projects
• Anytime you’re about to expand or kick off a high-visibility initiative impacting the local area

You’ll collect fresh perspectives on how you’re doing in the eyes of local residents, civic groups, and even future employees. These surveys help validate your community projects and ensure you’re not missing priorities like air quality, access to green spaces, or STEM education.

The feedback often bubbles up new project ideas you wouldn’t have considered in a boardroom—or highlights old community grievances before they become PR headaches.

Five Sample Questions

1. How would you rate our organization’s transparency about environmental impacts?

2. Which community programs should we prioritize: conservation, education, or health?

3. Have you noticed any positive or negative changes in local air or water quality?

4. How often do you engage with our sustainability events or workshops?

5. What suggestions do you have for improving our social-impact initiatives?

A well-designed survey here bolsters trust, goodwill, and deeper ties with the communities you serve.

Green Product Demand & Willingness-to-Pay Survey

Why and When to Use This Survey Type

Testing a brilliant new eco-invention? The green product demand & willingness-to-pay survey helps you decode the market pulse and fine-tune your messaging and pricing.

Consider using this survey:

• During the concept and product development phase to gauge what features customers value most
• When preparing for a big crowdfunding campaign
• In investor pitches to show solid data on price elasticity and market demand

When respondents share which green features matter—like energy efficiency, plastic-free packaging, or certifications—you avoid costly missteps and invest in what your customers truly want.

You’ll also discover just how much more (or less) buyers are willing to pay, reducing the guesswork for both pricing models and supply chain investments.

Five Sample Questions

1. Rank these eco-features (biodegradable, energy-efficient, reusable) by importance.

2. How likely are you to switch brands for a product with a 30% lower carbon footprint?

3. What maximum price increase would you accept for plastic-free packaging?

4. Which certifications (e.g., Fairtrade, B-Corp) most influence your trust?

5. Would you join a subscription model that reduces packaging waste? Yes/No/Maybe.

Tap this survey to turn eco-chic ideas into real products with enthusiastic buyers behind them.

Sustainability Education & Behavior-Change Follow-Up Survey

Why and When to Use This Survey Type

Just rolled out a sustainability workshop or challenge? The education & behavior-change follow-up survey checks if all that inspiration actually sticks and shapes real habits.

This survey fits best:

• 30 to 90 days after a training, campaign, or educational event
• When you want to showcase learning retention and genuine impact for future funding or support
• To spot which parts of your content moved people—and which fell flat

It also uncovers everyday hurdles holding your audience back, so your next program can be sharper and even more empowering. Plus, people love sharing which new skills or eco-hacks they’ve taught friends or colleagues since.

Five Sample Questions

1. Which workshop topic has most influenced your daily habits?

2. How frequently do you now carry a reusable bottle or cup?

3. What obstacles limit your ability to implement learned practices?

4. Rate your confidence in explaining sustainability concepts to peers.

5. Have you shared program takeaways with colleagues or friends? Yes/No.

A thoughtful follow-up here turns education into action—and action into lasting change.

Best Practices: Dos and Don’ts for Crafting High-Impact Sustainability Survey Questions

Ready to write your best sustainability survey yet? Keep these practical dos and don’ts on hand so your data delivers real insight—not just check-the-box numbers.

• Do align each question with a clear KPI or decision point, so answers actually point the way to action.

• Do use plain, non-technical language unless you’re surveying bona fide experts.

• Do pilot-test for bias and scale clarity to keep your survey fair and results meaningful.

• Don’t overload surveys—the sweet spot is usually 10–15 questions, maximizing completion and honest feedback.

• Don’t mix double-barreled or leading questions; your data is only good if it’s clean and clear.

• Do combine quantitative scales with open-ended prompts for a rich blend of metrics and human stories.

• Don’t forget to communicate results and ensuing actions; transparency builds trust and boosts long-term participation.

Let these rules keep your surveys fast, focused, and genuinely impactful.

A little effort upfront in crafting your sustainability survey pays huge dividends back—whether it’s smarter business decisions, sharper eco-innovation, or stronger community ties. The humble survey? It’s where green momentum begins. Give it a try—and watch the data spark real transformation!