Key Takeaways
- Gen Z’s personal commitment to sustainable behaviors is declining despite their concern for the planet remaining high.
- A rising sense of futility is replacing action as many young people feel their individual efforts won’t make a difference.
- Brands have an urgent opportunity to re-engage Gen Z by offering solutions that make sustainable living feel empowering, clear, and achievable.
New research from GlobeScan and BBMG reveals a troubling paradox: Gen Z feels the most threatened by climate change and cares deeply about the planet, yet their engagement in sustainable living is on the decline.
Global research in 31 markets shows that despite being hailed as the most climate-conscious generation, Gen Z’s commitment to reducing their environmental impact is slipping (from 76% in 2020 to 68% in 2024). From 2020 to 2024, fewer young people said they wanted to reduce their footprint. Even the belief that consuming less is essential to protect future generations is fading, along with the guilt tied to harming the environment (slipping from 66% to 56% in just four years).
And these sustainable behaviors are being replaced by a growing sense of futility. More young people believe that individual actions don’t make a difference (from 33% in 2020 to 42% in 2024). Overwhelmed by the scale of the crisis and unsure of how to help, they are disengaging – not because they don’t care, but because they feel powerless.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
We are seeing what happens when deep concern meets burnout and when eco-anxiety prevents action. The will is there, but the way forward feels out of reach. Gen Z isn’t giving up – they are crying out for support, clarity, and hope. The opportunity for brands is urgent and clear: design solutions that go beyond awareness and guilt and create products, services, and experiences that restore a sense of agency that makes living sustainably feel possible, empowering, and joyful.
Discover five core principles that transform sustainability from obligation into opportunity in our new report From Anxiety to Agency: Five Ways Sustainable Brands Can Win Back Gen Z. Each principle bridges the gap between intention and impact, helping brands move from incremental progress to transformative change.
Survey Question: Please indicate whether you strongly agree, somewhat agree, neither agree nor disagree, somewhat disagree, or strongly disagree with each of the following statements.
Source: GlobeScan and BBMG From Anxiety to Agency: Five Ways Sustainable Brands Can Win Back Gen Z report (survey of 30,216 people in the general public across 31 markets in July ‒ August 2024)
