95% of Spanish youth find it difficult to adopt a sustainable lifestyle (Environment) :: CSR Commitment

Caring for the environment occupies fourth position (30%) among the issues that most concern youth, not far behind economic growth (36.4%); equality between men and women (36.4%) or the fight against economic inequality and poverty (33.1%), more social and economic issues.

And when you ask directly how much care for the environment is concerned, a large majority of young people express high concern about this issue: almost 9 out of 10 young people between 15 and 29 years old.

This concern is directly related to your experience with phenomena such as heat waves (67%),the fires (31.8%)the exceptional droughts (27.8%),the insect and animal pests (24.8%) and the air pollution (18.7%), which tangibly affect your daily life.

As a result, almost half of young people (47.5%) have modified their daily habits to reduce their environmental impactadopting practices such as recycling, sustainable mobility and the consumption of local products.

However, the 95% say they face some type of barrier to adopting a sustainable lifestyle. The main difficulties they point out are the high cost of sustainable products and services (49.1%) and the lack of economic incentives (34.7%). Furthermore, 33.9% feel that their individual actions have little significant impact, and 27.6% perceive that the information available on how to live more sustainably is insufficient or confusing.

These are some conclusions of the study “Youthful positions regarding health care and environmental sustainability”carried out by the Pfizer Foundation and the Reina Sofía Center of Fad Juventud. This report provides an in-depth analysis of how youth in Spain perceive and respond to the climate crisis, revealing not only their concerns, but also the obstacles they face in adopting sustainable practices more focused on individual and global health care.

The conclusions of this study are based on the results obtained from a survey carried out on a representative sample of 1,219 young people between 15 and 29 years old throughout Spain, carried out between April 19 and May 6, 2024.

The main findings were presented this morning at a press conference in which Sergio Rodriguezpresident of the Pfizer Foundation; Beatriz Martin Padurageneral director of Fad Juventud; and Anna Sanmartindirector of the Reina Sofía Center and research coordinator.

For Sergio Rodríguez, president of the Pfizer Foundation, “The World Health Organization (WHO) already warned a few years ago that climate change will cause around 250,000 additional deaths per year between 2030 and 2050. Therefore, it is interesting to know what young people’s concerns are about the environment and how they relate it with health. Understanding their perceptions is important in promoting healthy habits and finding present and future solutions.”.

For her part, Beatriz Martín Padura, pointed out that: “Youth have shown exceptional commitment and clear awareness of the challenges posed by climate change. Their concern is not only a reflection of the adversities they already face, but also a call to action for the entire society. It is crucial that effective policies are implemented that remove the barriers that prevent them from adopting a more sustainable lifestyle. “We cannot allow the lack of institutional support to stop their will to change.”

Change in youth habits and routines

Around half of young people (47.5%) have adopted sustainable habits in response to climate change, and almost a third (29.2%) have opted for more sustainable forms of mobility.

Regarding the sustainable habits related to the environment that young people have integrated into their daily lives, it is observed that none of these habits exceeds 35% of practice, so it is possible to point out that These routines are not yet widely integrated into youth.

Health and environment: the vision of youth from the perspective “One Health”

A 31.7% of the young population in Spain claims to know the concept “One Health” (one health), the approach that describes the interrelationship that exists between human health, animal health and the environment, and that highlights the interdependence of these elements to guarantee comprehensive well-being.

Although knowledge of the concept is relatively low, there is a growing understanding among youth of the intrinsic relationship between the environment and health. More than a quarter of the young population is concerned about the increase in chronic diseases and the extinction of species.

For a large part of youth, this connection between the environment and their health becomes evident through the need to maintain good health. air and water qualitywith a 56.4% of young people recognizing its direct impact on the prevention of respiratory and gastrointestinal diseases.

However, other key aspects of the approach “One Health”such as animal welfare, biodiversity and waste management, receive less attention. Just one 17.1% of the young people values ​​animal welfare as a relevant factor for human health.

Perception and trust in information sources on environmental sustainability

In an environment where information about climate change is abundant but sometimes confusing, Spanish youth look for reliable sources to guide their actions and decisions regarding the environment and sustainability.

With an average of 3.66 out of 5 in reliability, it is established that youth deposit greater trust in the scientific communityfollowed by international organizations (3.31) and environmental organizations and activists (3.21). Less confidence aroused by companies (2.72) and the governments and public administrations (2.66).

The media and the social networks They are in the last places with 2.64 and 2.60 points respectively.