Stat: Eco-motional teens feel unseen by governments

Young people across the world are displaying growing levels of climate anxiety, with many feeling that their governments aren’t doing enough to protect the planet. Indeed, in a global study of 10,000 people aged 16–25, conducted by the University of Bath, more than half think that humanity is doomed.

Meanwhile, three-quarters of those surveyed said that the future is frightening. Worryingly, this sense of anxiety is further being fuelled by the sense of dismissal from those in positions of power. Among the 81% of respondents who said they talked to people about their concerns, nearly half said they were ignored or dismissed. ‘This study paints a horrific picture of widespread climate anxiety in our children and young people,’ said Caroline Hickman, a researcher at the University of Bath.

These findings show how eco-anxiety in young people is being fuelled by governments’ inability to implement policy, as well as by peers' failing to empathise with these deep-rooted emotions. To discover how sustainable action can also address emotional concerns, delve into our interview with ethical consultancy CogDis.