The world's largest offshore wind farm opened off the southeast coast of England in September, part of Britain's push to boost renewable energy. The U.K. also supports the Copenhagen Accord, and has adopted changes as outlined by the Kyoto Protocol. Clearly, conservation and preservation are two key movements.

It is surprising, then, that finding environmentally friendly apparel is not a top concern for U.K. shoppers � even less so than among their American counterparts, according to the Cotton Incorporated and Cotton Council International Global Lifestyle Monitor� Survey. It turns out just 12% of U.K. consumers say they put effort into finding eco-friendly apparel, according to the Global Monitor, compared to about 29% of U.S. shoppers, according to the Cotton Incorporated Lifestyle Monitor� survey.

Further, 59% of U.K. consumers say they would not be bothered if they found out their clothing was not manufactured in an environmentally-friendly way, according to the Global Monitor. In comparison, just 29% of U.S. shoppers say they would not be bothered.

While that percentage of U.K. consumers may seem high, similar statistics can be found worldwide. In Brazil, 44% would not be bothered by discovering they bought a less than "green" garment, up from 20% in 2008. In Germany, 42% would not be bothered by a non-"green" purchase. The same is true of just 38% of Chinese shoppers, according to the Global Monitor.

While 45% of Chinese consumers and 68% of Thai consumers responded that they put effort into finding environmentally-friendly apparel, they were the only countries that saw increases � up from 42% and 64% in 2008, respectively. Just 20% of Brazilians put effort into finding "green" apparel, while almost 40% put absolutely no effort into doing so. The number is even lower in Japan (14%) and in the U.K. (12%).

The fact that seeking out environmentally-friendly apparel is not a primary purchase driver for most U.K. consumers has not stopped the government from taking further action. In February, the U.K.'s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) released a Sustainable Clothing Action Plan. The plan outlines means to improve the sustainability performance of clothing, including consumption trends, awareness and improving traceability along the supply chain in order to hold parties responsible for poor environmental and ethical behavior.

DEFRA states the reason for the Sustainable Clothing Roadmap "is because clothing, while an economic success story, has a significant environmental and social footprint across its supply chain which is exacerbated by high consumption levels, in particular in the developed world."

In the U.K. alone, DEFRA says about two million tons of apparel are purchased per year, with the fast fashion/discount sector comprising one-fifth of the U.K. market.

The Global Monitor survey found U.K. shoppers were a bit more likely to accept lower quality for reduced prices. In 1999, 28% of consumers said they would sacrifice a little quality to get a better price. This year, that number jumped to 36%.

This desire for lower cost apparel has become significantly more pronounced for U.K. shoppers, while most environmental issues have seen significant declines in importance. Global Monitor data find most U.K. consumers appear to be in a holding pattern with respect to apparel purchases and the amount of money available for these purchases; 31% say they have less money to spend on apparel than last year, while 56% say they have the same amount.

At the 2010 Sustainable Cotton Summit, held at the University of Missouri, Genessa Devine, Manager, Market Strategy, Cotton Incorporated, said even if consumers are interested in "green" apparel, the current economic uncertainty means, �Environmental friendliness isn�t always the primary purchase driver.�

Clearly, the global economic downturn has had an impact on the average consumer's interest in spending more for sustainably produced apparel.

Price is still the top consideration for most consumers worldwide in their decision to purchase new apparel. In the U.K., 88% of Global Monitor respondents list price as a factor when buying new apparel. In the U.S, 85% rate price as a top driver for apparel purchases, while in Germany, 83% are concerned for the same reasons. In Japan, 95% of consumers are concerned with price, as are 90% of Brazilians.

In fact, price remains a top priority in UK apparel purchases. According to Global Monitor data, 88% of U.K. shoppers list price as something important to their apparel purchases, while only 20% say environmental-friendliness is important to their apparel purchases.

These pricing fears may soon be allayed; world stock markets rose recently on upbeat economic news from the U.S. and China, suggesting the global recovery could be stronger than had been expected. In fact, Forbes recently reported that the recovery should be strong enough to help Europe weather its own debt crisis.

Will an economic recovery spell an increased desire for environmentally-friendly apparel in the U.K.? Only time will tell.