Six out of ten Gen Zs and millennials say that they have felt ‘worried’ or ‘anxious’ about climate change in the past month, a new study by Deloitte has found.
The 13th edition of Deloitte’s Gen Z and Millennial Survey engaged with some 23,000 respondents across 44 countries, recording their attitudes to work, mental health, the environment and other issues.
Some 46% of Gen Zs say that they have already changed or plan to change job, or the industry that they work in, due to climate concerns, the study found. For millennials, this percentage stands at 42%.
‘Putting pressure’ on employers
More than half (54%) of Gen Zs, meanwhile, say that they and their colleagues are ‘putting pressure’ on their employers to take action on climate change, with 48% of millennials doing likewise.
Close to two thirds (64%) of Gen Zs say that they would be willing to pay more to purchase environmentally-sustainable products, as would 63% of millennials, while 25% of Gen Zs say that they have ‘stopped or lessened’ a relationship with a business due to unsustainable practices, compared to 24% of millennials.
A ‘personal concern’
According to Deloitte, environmental sustainability is a ‘personal concern’ for Gen Z and millennial consumers, which often ‘weighs heavily on them’, adding to their personal anxiety.
‘The majority of them take action to minimise their impact on the environment,’ Deloitte said. They feel governments should play a bigger role in pushing business to address climate change. And that business, in turn, could and should do more to enable consumers to make more sustainable purchasing decisions.
‘Protecting the environment is the societal challenge where respondents feel businesses have the most opportunity to drive change. Gen Zs and millennials are pushing business to act through their career decisions and consumer behaviours.’
Both Gen Z and millennials are less confident about improvements in the overall social and political situation, with only 28% of Gen Z and 26% of millennials expecting an improvement. Regarding the financial situation, meanwhile, just 32% of Gen Z and 31% of millennials believe the overall economic situation will improve in the coming year.
You can find the full study here. Picture by Alana Jordan.
Why is sustainable development important to you and your business? Read www.sustainabilityonline.net to find out.
