Youth

The good life passes in front of an intact environment

Young people are interested in a study, once more for brand-name clothing and consumer electronics as for the environment. The pressure to perform and uncertain job prospects are urgent challenges.

Apple, Adidas, Fossil, Coca-Cola, Nike, Nivea, Nutella, H&M, these Labels are among the favourite brands of Teens and twenty-somethings and their Peer. Nature and environmental awareness, in contrast, have less of an impact on the Thinking and Actions of young people. This was the result of a study commissioned by the Federal environment Ministry and the Federal environment Agency (UBA). “The willingness to Act on environmental issues target takes, especially in Younger more”, says UBA President Maria Krautzberger.

Security in the family top priority

The Internet and new media for teenagers and young adults to everyday life. Young people grow up in a globalized world. Performance and Bildungsdruck have under international conditions, has increased.

Economy – instead of ökologieorientiert

Here, the Adolescent under the impression of economic, political, and ecological crises. The world take increasingly unsafe in the true. This Feeling increases the survey after the feeling of unpredictability and Non-calculability of your own life path.

In addition, training will increase, the change to independent working life is definitely not smoothly succeed, and thus the economic independence is delayed. Professionally insecure perspectives, the threat of precarious employment and high demands on flexibility, have consequences for life and family planning and increasingly to the uncertainty. In critical times, serves the family, the young adults as a reliable anchor.

Ideas of a good life

71 percent of respondents between the ages of 14 and 25 years of age reported a family of my own and want a good standard to aim for. A prerequisite for this to be good performance in school, training and studying. Are associated with doubt in their own abilities and fear of a subsequent life under financial pressure.

Only 30 percent of the respondents identified an intact environment and the ability to enjoy the outdoors, as an important part of a good life. Although the nature as a “beautiful site of the surrounding environment, with the environment associate with many people, but also problems, Worry and negative feelings.

Young people from all over the world at the world climate summit in Paris

84 percent of 14 – to 25-year-old respondents are the correlations between the Consumption in the industrial and emerging countries and the environmental problems, poor working and living conditions in poorer countries to be aware of. At the same time, could Germany, with its technical Know-how to contribute to the environmental problems in other countries to solve, gave three-quarters of the respondents. As many are aware, that the natural basis of life through climate change, loss of biodiversity and scarcity of resources in the future are impaired. The environment could only be due to limitations in the consumption of rescue. At the same time appears to be a solution for the environmental challenges to be very difficult.

Waste prevention, energy and nutrition

Teenagers and young adults bring to environmental protection in everyday life the most frequently with Waste separation and waste prevention in connection. They practise Separating waste materials for Recycling as a matter of course, because they in the family home have learned. For the reduction of energy consumption in everyday life, examples were presented such as light, heating in order to reduce Standby power off called. Young people’s interest according to its own information for technical solutions, involving renewable energy and wind turbines, Solar or biogas plants.

Environmental knowledge by catastrophe reporting

Organic, vegetarian and vegan food and drinks are seen not only as part of a healthy and conscious diet. Fleischreduzierte and meatless eating habits appear to be young people, is also from the ecological point of view makes sense. However, it is the most currently heavy on meat to do without: Only four percent of the young respondents in the representative survey, never to eat meat.

Sharing and Second Hand

Share, Trade, Rent, Repair as an Alternative to actual individual consumption are also a topic among the young: 79 percent of 14-to 25-Year-old said in Interviews that these concepts are very much or somewhat to a good life could contribute. Almost as many have experience with a Bike or car sharing or searching on Internet portals for private Accommodations. “The car plays no longer so prominent as it is the adults doing,” says UBA) Maria Krautzberger. “This is, of course, for a more climate-friendly mobility in the next few years, hope.”

Engagement of young people

Half of the respondents can imagine, for the environment and conservation to get involved. However, some the efficacy and the own influence into question. Nine percent of 14-to 25-Year-olds said they are already actively involved in projects to use.

Many Interviewees complained that environmental knowledge in schools and the mass media is only insufficiently taught. In the digitized media and the everyday world of young people play in environmental issues a minor role: Most likely to remain environmental TV documentaries and the news reporting on natural disasters in memory.