Almost a third of people aged between 16 and 29 had made no changes to their lifestyle to tackle climate change, a survey conducted by the Office for National Statistics showed.
The survey asked different age ranges if they had made any changes to their lifestyle in response to the climate crisis, with 31% of young people revealing they had not made any adjustments.
This age group had the highest percentage of people who had not made any changes, with 70 and over being the second highest – at 28%.
The survey showed that two fifths of young people who had not made changes didn’t because they believed their actions would have no effect on climate change.
The survey provided multiple options as to the reasoning behind inaction – showing that a third of this age group believe large polluters should change before individuals.
The climate crisis continues to evolve, with 2024 being the warmest year recorded, and the frequency and intensity of extreme weather increasing.
In an interview with climate activist and author, Aakash Ranison, he said: “This data pretty much makes sense.
“This is what I have been seeing from people, when I meet or hear from them, this is how they have been acting as well.”
However, whether it is correct that larger companies should act first, having almost a third of young people not making changes, and two fifths of them believing they cannot have any effect on climate change represents a deeper problem.
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Hannah Ritchie, a climate scientist, has written extensively about the dangers of hopelessness in relation to the climate crisis.
Ritchie wrote in an article for Vox: “Pessimists who think the future is not changeable, are the true doomers.
“It prevents people from actually going out and doing things to mitigate climate change.”
Ranison, also highlighted how pessimism enables a level of unacceptance and can lead to a lack of accountability.
He said: “I feel that the majority of the people who are not bringing change, haven’t because once you buy into this concept, you can’t go back.
“It’s very difficult, because then you know you’re cheating yourself every day.”
Ranison pointed out the issue of miscommunication regarding climate science – and how this further perpetuates the narrative that humanity is doomed.
He said: “I feel there is a huge gap of information and miscommunication.
“The majority of people who are in the space of climate change – they are not in the space of communication.
“What is happening is that a third person who is in this space of media and communication, they are spreading the message to the world, and it’s not going through.
“It’s like a Chinese whisper – it’s not reaching people.”
Ritchie summarised in an article she wrote for Wired, ways in which people are misinformed about the climate crisis.
She stated how the messaging from certain environmentalist groups that humanity faces ‘annihilation’ has contributed to the ‘doomsday scenario’ becoming a common belief.
Ritchie wrote: “The worst thing about this message is that, rather than inspiring action, it resigns us to the falsehood that we are already too late. There is nothing we can do.
“This is out of line with science.
“We need a new message for climate change. One that drives action through optimism that things can be better.”