“A privileged Australian life blinds myself and others from the horrors to come. I’m scared of climate change and care for the brands who share this fear,” an 18-year-old female from Victoria said.
Research in our Gen Z & Corporate Activism report has found that climate change is the number one social and environmental issue that Gen Zs want businesses to help with. See the full list ranked 1 to 20 in the report.
And with 86% of them saying their social and environmental concerns impact their spending it means how businesses react to climate change is vital to how Gen Zs will view them. Because to 96% of Australian Gen Zs humans are responsible for climate change. And in their eyes businesses, small and large, make a difference and must make a difference.
“It seems too mainstream now when everyone is talking about climate change. But that’s exactly what the world needs at this very moment,” a 19-year-old male from Queensland told us.
So if your business is up to good, there’s no need to be cool and mysterious about it. A 20-year-old female from Western Australia said that to build trust with Gen Z being vocal is key.
“It seems lots of businesses either aren’t very aware of or don’t even want to know about the issues that are occurring,” she said.
“If businesses begin to change this mindset and instead become leaders of change then this will not only improve their image to consumers but also assist in tackling these issues.”
And you don’t have to be pumping out CO2 like a coal power plant to need to be seen to be doing something about climate change. With 81% of Gen Zs thinking businesses should be involved in helping out on issues unrelated to their industry, there’s none greater in their opinion than climate change.
But 97% of young people think businesses should be involved in trying to solve issues related to their industry and since every business’s actions arguably impact climate change in some way, shape or form then every business should be doing something to combat it.
If that’s not enough to drive action, 88% of Gen Zs are more likely to buy from a business that donates some of its profits towards good causes, such as climate change.
And all businesses, from apparel to tech, can be more sustainable in their processes and products. Young people are well aware of this.
“This includes just reducing their carbon footprint and using sustainable packaging,” a 19-year-old male from NSW said.
A 20-year-old female from NSW adds: “Business can tap into these issues by divesting from fossil fuels and supporting renewable energy.”
And if you want to be more overt, a 19-year-old male from NSW said to get out there, join the conversation and walk the talk.
“Being involved in or supporting climate change rallies or events would show to me that they support this cause and are actively trying to play their part in fixing it and being less harmful to the environment,” he said.
The time is now.
