Young people call for climate education that goes beyond individual action

Young people are increasingly frustrated by the mismatch between the actions they are encouraged to take to tackle the climate crisis and those with the power to drive change.

A new survey of nearly 1,000 11-25-year-olds in the UK highlights this gap, showing that while sustainability education often emphasises personal behaviours - like litter-picking, recycling and travel habits - young people recognise that many of the most influential decisions shaping climate action are made by governments and businesses.

The report, compiled by Dr Katy Wheeler from the University of Essex, analysed findings from the third wave of the Youth Listening Project, led by the charity Sustainability and Environmental Education (SEEd).

Unlike many youth surveys, the project invited young people to explain their views in their own words as well as through structured questions, revealing both what they think about sustainability and how they feel about the future.

It highlighted how young people care deeply about sustainability, but want an education that helps them understand systems, power and how collective change happens.

As for the future, climate change remains their dominant concern, closely followed by fears about war, global insecurity and the impacts of rapid technological change. These concerns became especially visible when they were invited to imagine life for a fictional child in 2050, revealing anxieties about the fairness of the future being passed on to the next generation.

“The research shows a clear mismatch between responsibility and power,” explained Dr Wheeler. “Young people are encouraged to change their everyday consumption, yet are aware of how limited those actions are in shaping wider outcomes. That mismatch leaves many feeling frustrated rather than empowered.”

Dr Wheeler, from Essex’s Department of Sociology and Criminology, added: “These young people’s fears are legitimate. The challenge is to create educational spaces that help turn concern into shared hope and meaningful action so young people can feel more confident about the future they are inheriting.”

The aim of the project is to have a clear picture of how young people understand and experience sustainability to help shape future learning.

SEEd delivers a range of programmes, giving people of all ages the tools to make lasting change for a more sustainable future through action learning.

CEO of SEEd, Ann Finlayson, said: “The world in which young people are growing up in has felt increasingly uncertain, against a backdrop of multiple wars, economic insecurity, technological disruption and escalating climate impacts.

“Yet, amidst these global challenges, the young people who took part in the Youth Listening Project continue to speak with clarity, care and determination about the changes they wish to see. Their voices remind us that education has never been more vital in helping new generations to navigate complexity, imagine alternatives and build hope.”

The survey’s findings mirror the UK Government’s recent Curriculum and Assessment Review which called for more focus on sustainability and climate change and UNESCO’s Greening Curriculum Guidance, which urges educators and governments to adopt a “more action-oriented, holistic, scientifically accurate, justice-driven and lifelong learning approach to climate change and sustainability”.