One in five individuals are ‘waiting for the right opportunity’ to get involved in environmental protection and nature conservation, with a lack of time cited as the biggest obstacle for doing so, according to a survey commissioned by GoNature and natur strom AG.
The survey of 2,000 people, which was based in Germany, found that 15% are already involved in environmental issues, while of those not currently volunteering, 19% could imagine getting involved in climate, environmental and nature conservation in the future.
Two thirds (66%) of all respondents who can imagine volunteering are in favour of concrete on-site activities such as landscape conservation work. These forms of volunteering are by far the most popular, ahead of organising events (26%) and administrative tasks (28%).
The primary barrier to involvement, cited by 26% of respondents, is a lack of time, attributed to work, family, and other commitments. Health reasons were also a significant factor, affecting 20% of participants.
Enormous potential
“The potential for voluntary environmental protection is enormous: one in five potential volunteers is just waiting for the right opportunity. Now we have to create these opportunities and make them visible,” commented Dominique Prescher, managing director of GoVolunteer e. V., which developed the GoNature engagement platform.
“Time is a precious commodity, but so are our nature and the environment. With targeted actions and the right support, we can bring the two into harmony and take environmental commitment to the next level.”
GoNature seeks to connect individuals with participatory projects in nature and species conservation throughout Germany.
Environmental commitment
“It is interesting that 16% have not yet given any thought to environmental commitment,” Prescher added. “We are trying to activate these people, as well as those who have not yet been able to bring themselves to get involved, with our campaign.”
The survey data was collected by by YouGov Deutschland GmbH between July 24 and 27, 2024, from a sample of 2,053 people. Read more here.
A separate study found that German businesses have invested around €4.15 billion in solutions to reduce emissions or promote more sustainable resource use over the last three years.
