What young Europeans are willing to give up to save the planet

This story was originally published by The Guardian and appears here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration.

They are willing to have smaller families, stop using cars and — albeit in smaller numbers — go vegan for the planet, but abandoning single-use plastics and growing a few more plants could be a step too far.

Across Europe, according to a seven-country survey, it seems young people are more willing than older generations to make big lifestyle changes that would help combat the climate crisis — but are less convinced by smaller gestures.

The YouGov polling for The Guardian also showed the economic downturn was hitting young people’s hopes for the future, with more than half saying they were worried they would be unable to own a home in the next decade.

The survey, carried out in August in Britain, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Sweden, also showed a large minority of 18- to 24-year-olds felt economic concerns could dissuade them from starting a family within the same timeframe.

Asked about what sacrifices they would be prepared to make to help fight global heating, 28 per cent of 18- to 24-year-olds and 30 per cent of 25- to 34-year-olds said they would be willing — or were already planning — to have fewer children than they would otherwise like.

That compared with figures of between 19 per cent and 13 per cent for older generations — most of whom are, however, already likely to be parents. But younger generations were also more likely to favour other significant lifestyle changes than older respondents.

Young people were more willing to give up cars, with 54 per cent of 18- to 24-year-olds saying they would — or already did — only walk, cycle or use public transport, against 45 per cent of people over the age of 65. Similarly, 41 per cent would switch to an electric car against 21 per cent of people over the age of 65.

While only 21 per cent of 18- to 24-year-olds said they were willing to — or already had — cut meat and dairy out of their diet entirely, that was still a significantly higher proportion than in older cohorts (17 per cent of 55- to 64-year-olds, and 13 per cent of people over the age of 65).

Younger generations were also much more likely to be willing to (or already did) pay more for air travel (30 per cent of 18- to 24-year-olds against about 22 per cent of people over 55) and buy only secondhand clothes (35 per cent of 18- to 24-year-olds and 38 per cent of 24- to 34-year-olds against 26 per cent of people over the age of 65).

For smaller changes, such as creating green space in their home, eating only seasonal produce, or never buying single-use plastics, older age groups were more likely to say they would be happy to make, or had already made, the change.

Similarly, younger generations appeared more likely to support radical government measures in key policy areas than older cohorts, but were less favourable than their elders towards public policy moves that could be perceived as incremental.

A ban on the production and sale of petrol and diesel cars, for example, would have the support of 46 per cent of 18- to 24-year-olds and 42 per cent of 25- to 24-year-olds, against 28 per cent of 55- to 64-year-olds and just 22 per cent of respondents over the age of 65.

A government-imposed limit on the consumption of meat and dairy products likewise enjoyed significantly stronger support among younger than older generations (43 per cent of 18- to 24-year-olds against 25 per cent of people over the age of 65), as did a significantly higher fuel tax.

Government clampdowns on packaging, programs to plant more trees, a frequent-flyer levy and strict measures to enforce energy-efficient homes tended to be supported more, or almost equally, by older age groups.

The polling showed little age difference regarding concern about the climate crisis and its likely effects, with more than 70 per cent of every cohort from 18 to 24 to those over the age of 65 saying they were very or fairly worried.

Large majorities of between 64 per cent and 72 per cent in every age group agreed that the world’s climate was changing as a result of human activity, although the 18- to 24-year-old cohort was marginally more likely to say the causes were not anthropogenic.

About 43 per cent of 18- to 24-year-olds across the continent said they worried the current economic situation would affect their ability to move out of the family home; 56 per cent said it might mean they would be unable to buy a home, and 38 per cent to have children.

Regardless of age or country, the survey showed Europeans were more likely to think the EU should make decisions about how to tackle the climate crisis on behalf of its member states, rather than individual countries making decisions independently.

Italians, Spaniards and Britons were among the most likely to say they would be willing to make lifestyle changes to help fight the climate emergency, with Germans — a quarter of whom believe global heating is not human-made — the least likely.

Across all age groups, the most popular lifestyle changes were the smaller ones. Creating green space in the home had the broadest support, with 79 per cent of British — down to 66 per cent of Germans — saying they already did so or would be willing to.

About two-thirds of respondents said they would be willing to eat vegetables and fruit that are in season (or already were), while giving up all meat and dairy was the least popular change, with Italians the most likely to do so at 27 per cent.

Europeans were torn on quitting driving. About 58 per cent of French people, 57 per cent of Italians and 56 per cent of Germans said they would be willing to only walk, cycle or use public transport — but only 40 per cent of British people, 39 per cent of Swedes and 35 per cent of Danes.