Eighty-one percent of university students in Generation Z express concerns about climate change.
Researchers have also discovered that 35 percent of Gen Z students are actively involved in climate activism.
Over 80 percent of Australian university students from Gen Z are impacted by, or are experiencing, climate anxiety, which is affecting their overall well-being.
A survey conducted by Curtin University revealed that 46 percent of Australian university students are highly concerned about climate change, with an additional 35 percent expressing concern.
Professor of Sustainability at Curtin University, Dora Marinova, stated that climate anxiety is contributing to the unease felt by Gen Z towards the future.
“Gen Z has serious concerns that will not only affect their mental health—something that society and the public health system will have to address—but also impact the decisions they make: how they spend their money, whether they start families, their career choices, and more.”
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The study also explored the level of environmental concern regarding various issues. They found that 28 percent of Gen Z students were highly concerned about biodiversity loss, while 22 percent and 17 percent expressed significant concern about sustainable food systems and plastic pollution, respectively.
35 Percent Engage in Climate Activism
Additionally, researchers discovered that 35 percent of Gen Z students actively participate in climate activism, whether through fundraising, donating, protesting, or supporting political campaigns.
“Despite this widespread concern, 65 percent of Australian university Gen Z students are not involved in traditional climate activism; however, they are utilizing technology to express their concerns,” researchers pointed out.
Diana Bogueva, a research fellow at Curtin, encouraged more Gen Z individuals to engage in activism to influence policymakers to expedite climate action.
The study acknowledged several limitations—respondents voluntarily participated in the survey and were not randomly approached.
“Firstly, the respondents self-selected to take part in the survey instead of being approached randomly. Secondly, the list of environmental issues presented was a set of forced choices rather than open-ended responses,” the paper highlighted.
‘Mass Delusion’: Libertarian Party
Despite the concerns raised by Gen Z, not everyone in Australia shares the same perspective.
John Ruddick, an Australian politician and Libertarian Party member in New South Wales (NSW), referred to climate change as a “mass delusion” during a speech in November.
“Global warming is not just a frivolous delusion. It is the reason why our nation and most of the Western world have seen minimal economic growth for 15 years. Together with the impact of COVID, it is contributing to inflation.
“We are on the path to dismantling a cost-effective and highly efficient energy supply that has driven our success, and replacing it with a very expensive and questionable alternative: renewables, which should be rightly called unreliable sources of energy.”
