Gen-Z Gets Vocal About Climate Change

KUALA LUMPUR, 21.6.2021 – After witnessing climate change and its effects on the world, a new generation of climate activists are taking matters into their hands to resolve the matter.

Image source: Pexels

Generation Z or Gen-Z represents people born between the mid-1990s and early 2010s, and are individuals who spent their childhood going through rapid climate change around the world. 

Amnesty International Survey indicated that more than 10,000 Gen-Zs find climate change to be a crucial issue in this era. Additionally, a Future of Humanity survey discovered that 41% out of 10,000 Gen-Zs in 22 countries cited climate change as an important worldwide issue. 

As a new generation of youth, they are vocal about their opinions, especially in climate change. They are actively playing their part to fix climate change and to make their future a better place to live in. 

Rebecca Bromley-Trujillo (PhD), educator at Christopher Newport University who teaches political science and environmental policy says, “Older generations were not out there protesting in the streets on this issue the way Gen-Z is.” 

Although climate-change activism has been around for decades, the involvement of youth is new. In fact, they challenge the norm by rejecting the idea that they are mere juniors with no say in adult movements. 

Gen-Z’s concern about climate change are not just making their move via social media. These young climate activists walk the talk by forming movements and organizations, such as Fridays For Future and Zero Hour. Some went on hunger strikes and others have filed complaints and sued their state and the United Nations. 

Instead of waiting for things to happen, Gen-Z has stepped up to help in climate change. A Washington Post-Kaiser survey showed 40% of high school students actively reducing their carbon footprint. 

18-year-old Jerome Foster II is one such example. A college freshman from Washington D.C, he has started strikes in front of the White House to raise concerns about climate change and has played a huge role in organizing the 2019 Global Climate Strike that involved many people his age to speak up against climate change.  

A report from the United Nation’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change stated that there were 11 to 12 years before the climate system reaches a tipping point that leads to more disasters the scale of wildfires at Western US.  

“We are racing against time,” said Jerome, while addressing the report. 

“People keep saying our children’s children will see the consequences of climate change, but that was 50 years ago. We’re the children.” he added. 

As Gen-Z will be new leaders of tomorrow, they are highly aware of how climate change could negatively impact their lives and future generations.  

Nearly half of the world’s population is aged 24 or less, so there are high hopes that their voice will be able to persuade corporations, older leaders, and governments to take action to curb climate change.