In 2019, the youth climate movement swept the world. Greta Thunberg led Fridays for Future, millions of school children took part in the largest climate strike in human history, and the phrase ‘Climate Emergency’ was awarded Oxford Dictionary Word of the Year.
It makes sense that young people are concerned about the climate crisis – after all, it is young people who will bear the brunt of its impacts, which are poised to worsen during their lifetime. The latest Climate Action Tracker report predicts warming of 3 °C by the end of the century at our current rate of action – or rather, inaction.
So, what has happened to the youth climate movement? Could it be that young people are experiencing less concern about the planet’s future, or are there other reasons why some may be reluctant to take climate action?
We did the research.
After speaking with 1,400 students, aged 11-18 from around the UK, we found that climate change remains very much at the forefront of young people’s minds; as many as 60% experienced eco-anxiety. Students repeatedly told us that they want to do something for the planet, but many hold back for fear of reaction from peers or lack of support from teachers. Shockingly, of the students engaged in environmental action, 12% had been physically bullied and others (15%) were targeted through cyberbullying. A huge 68% wished their school made it easier to take climate action.
Furthermore, students often engaged in what we are calling ‘discourses of delay,’ believing false statements such as “As a young person, I can’t make a significant difference” or “Addressing climate change is impossible.” They often overestimated the impact of actions such as recycling while underestimating the power they had to make accessible changes in their life, such as buying less or shifting to a more plant-based diet.
Young people have huge potential to flip the world’s climate trajectory, and to take actions which will see them create a more equitable and just future. Schools should support students to achieve just this, but instead, we found that optimism towards climate action actually declines as students get older. Clearly, this needs to be the other way around!
We call for new climate education which is embedded throughout the curriculum, and which empowers students to take action for the planet in their own lives, as well as to become informed and politically engaged citizens. We want schools to give their explicit support to environmental initiatives and celebrate students who are calling for change. We need the government to inspire engagement and action by making bold decisions on net zero and sharing what we all stand to gain from an effective climate strategy.
If we can act together to help change young people’s hearts and minds, remove the barriers they face and support them, we can unleash the potential of the new generation to help us tackle the biggest crises of our time.
Read the full report below, or check out our Infographic Summary.
