If you had to guess which country in Southeast Asia is most concerned about the environment, you might point to the wealthiest one. After all, it has the resources, infrastructure and means to do something about it. According to Milieu’s Environmental 2026 study, that’s not entirely true.
Singapore, the richest market in a new six country survey on environmental attitudes, ranks last when it comes to environmental concern. Just 25% of Singaporeans say they are “very” or “extremely” concerned about environmental issues. That is less than half the figure in the Philippines, where 65% say the same.
Singapore also trails on measures of action. Just 13% say they have made several changes to their daily habits in the past six months, compared with 49% in Vietnam. And when it comes to putting money behind those concerns, only 6% of Singaporeans say they have often paid more for a product because it was marketed as environmentally friendly. In the Philippines, that figure rises to 25%. So what explains the gap?
It may have less to do with wealth and more to do with what people have experienced.
It is hard to worry about what you have not felt
Look at environmental concern and behaviour alongside one simple factor: recent, personal experience of climate impacts. The picture starts to look very different.
In the Philippines, 68% of respondents say they personally experienced flooding in the past 12 months, the highest rate among the six markets surveyed. Vietnam, which ranks second for both environmental concern and reported action, has the highest reported experience of heatwaves, at 77%. Singapore, meanwhile, reports the lowest experience of flooding, at just 11%.
The relationship is striking. The markets where people report greater exposure to extreme weather also tend to be the markets where environmental concerns are more immediate and where people are more willing to change their behaviour or pay more for environmentally friendly products. That does not mean climate experience is the only factor at play. But it does suggest that concern is shaped by what people see and experience in everyday life, not simply by how wealthy a country is.
So what’s all that talk about sustainability?
For years, sustainability marketing has often assumed that wealthier consumers are the natural audience for green products and premium environmental positioning. This data suggests there may be a more complicated picture in Southeast Asia.
The consumers who appear most receptive to environmental action are not necessarily in the wealthiest markets. They are often in markets where climate disruption feels much closer to home, particularly the Philippines and Vietnam. That has implications for how brands talk about sustainability.
A campaign built around broad, global messages such as “save the planet” may feel relevant, but it can also feel distant. In markets where people have already experienced flooding, heatwaves or other disruptions, the more compelling story may be much closer to home.
What has changed in your community? What does it mean for your household? Your electricity bill? Your daily commute? And, importantly, what can you do about it now? The same applies to policymakers. If environmental concern is partly shaped by lived experience, richer markets that have been relatively insulated from some climate impacts could face a different challenge. When the effects are less visible in everyday life, there may be less urgency to act.
So, here’s the truth
Across six Southeast Asian markets, environmental concern does not appear to follow income as neatly as we might expect.
Singapore, the wealthiest market in the study, reports the lowest levels of environmental concern and action. Meanwhile, the Philippines and Vietnam, where people report much greater exposure to certain climate impacts, are among the most concerned and most willing to change their behaviour. For brands, the takeaway is simple. The “green consumer” is not necessarily the wealthiest consumer. Sometimes, the strongest motivation to act comes from having experienced the problem first hand.
Exposure may be a more useful lens than affluence when it comes to understanding who is ready to act on sustainability.
A regional survey of 3,000 respondents across Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines fielded 20 to 28 August 2026, examined how people across the region think and act on environmental issue. Interested to access the full dataset? Get in touch with us at sales@mili.eu
