Research has found evidence of a step-change in the Scottish population's attitudes towards environmental issues over the last five years, with over 90% saying they had changed the way they lived to reduce the impact of their lifestyle on their surroundings.

Research conducted amongst more than 1,000 adults right across the country by YouGov, on behalf of Hamilton-based property developer Banks Developments, found that 23% of people in Scotland had made major changes to their everyday lives to take environmental issues into account.

A further 68% said they had made some changes to their lifestyles in this respect, through actions including switching household lights and appliances off when not in use (90%), recycling used materials (87%), using low-energy lightbulbs (76%) and buying products made from recycled materials (45%).

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It also points towards an increasing awareness in Scotland of the potential for sustainable housing design, with 40% saying that the environmental impact of the design of a given property would influence whether they would consider buying it or not.

Eighty-five per cent of people would be willing to consider buying an eco-home regardless of whether it looked different to the types of houses that have traditionally been built in Scotland, and 89% saying they would not be put off buying an eco-home even if the price were higher than a traditional type of home.

Colin Anderson, Managing Director of Banks, said: "Environmental issues have become more mainstream over the last few years and and you often hear politicians and other interest groups making wide-ranging or general comments about them.

"Our research, however, shows just how seriously ordinary people across Scotland take environmental issues and the effort they are now making, without a great deal of help yet from the public or private sector, to change their own way of life to tackle them."

(GK/JM)