Teenagers like Greta Thunberg, increasingly sensitive to environmental sustainability - Lifestyle

Increasingly informed and sensitive to issues such as those related to climate change, children born between 1995 and 2010 are careful not to waste food and resources and oriented towards

choices and habits

. Italian adolescents are proving to be increasingly

, understood more as respect and defense of the environment (41%), but also taken into consideration from a social (23%) and food (33%) point of view. Making the society we live in more "sustainable" is considered an important goal by the majority of Generation Z (69%) for which the Swedish activist

, in these days in Milan for the Youth4climate where he also met Prime Minister Mario Draghi, is a model heard of reference. “Respect” (45%), “future” (41%) and “life” (35%) are the key concepts to which sustainability is associated. And to the question "What to do to develop an increasingly green and sustainable awareness?", The new generations reply that more information is needed in schools (53%) and a greater focus on these issues by the media (46%), both the traditional ones and the new ones, capable of speaking to the new generations with a more immediate language.

How important is sustainability for young people? According to the majority (69%), according to a study by In a Bottle (www.inabottle.it) conducted on about 1,100 children between the ages of 18 and 26, sustainability is a priority globally, while for others (24 %) is not considered so fundamental with respect to other social problems or, even, it is considered only a fashion of the moment (5%).

What are the areas considered to be of primary importance, in which sustainable practices play a crucial role? Also in light of what has an impact on a global level (melting of glaciers, pollution…), the majority of young people believe that environmental problems (41%) require greater global attention. Another area of ​​extreme importance is sustainability in the food sector (32%) and the consequent fight against waste by consumers; then follows social sustainability (17%) in which, the main concern for young people is the unbalanced distribution of resources and services on a global scale, with many areas of the world where access to goods is not even guaranteed. primary necessity. In the background, however, for Generation Z is economic sustainability (9%).

What do Generation Z youth think about when it comes to sustainability? The first value that is associated is "respect" (45%), as putting sustainable principles into practice means respecting the environment, the resources that nature makes available to us and at the same time respecting others who, thanks to our civic sense, they can live in harmony with the environment. Aware of the importance of leaving a healthy and clean planet to future generations, other key concepts closely linked to the theme of sustainability, according to young people, are “future” (41%) and “life” (35%).

The survey therefore shows a strong sensitivity on the part of Generation Z in the field of sustainability. But how does this approach materialize in everyday life? The most common practices concern: the

(58%) with more and more young people who prefer to move around the city using low environmental impact vehicles such as bicycles and scooters; the

(51%) following the philosophy of the three "R" (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle), which allows to reduce the waste of energy; the

(47%) by reducing the use of household appliances and running water when not needed; the

(39%), opting more and more for made in Italy foods and typical dishes of local traditions; with this in mind, more and more young people say they want to support the world of catering, returning to frequent trattorias and historic places that have been severely tested in recent months but considered among the assets to be protected in our country, capable of educating to correct eating habits and to promote territorial excellence.

How much attention is being given to the principles linked to sustainability today? According to the majority of respondents (71%) in Italy there is still little attention on these issues. What is it due to? According to Generation Z, this little attention is the consequence of the little space that these issues find in the public debate (45%), in particular within the TV schedules and in the newspapers, and is due to the lack of sustainable policies (28%) aimed at favor and encourage practices that are closely linked to the safeguarding of environmental ecosystems and natural resources.

What needs to be done, therefore, to increase sensitivity to sustainability issues? First of all,

starting already in schools (53%), thus educating the adults of tomorrow to a different approach to resources that will lead them to develop a "

”As their natural cultural heritage.

According to others (46%), greater sensitivity cannot fail to pass through awareness-raising and communication campaigns that can, also through the use of social media, amplify the message regarding the importance of sustainability from an environmental and food point of view. , social and economic.

Finally, young people hope that more and more interventions and policies will arrive from the institutions (31%) that aim to increase sustainable practices by citizens and to develop an increasingly green and respectful conscience of nature, so as to implement the transformation towards a better future.