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 The Youth and the Environment Survey was a key initiative of the Queensland Youth Environment Council and was undertaken as a collaboration between the Department of Environment and Resource Management (DERM) the Department of Education and Training (DET) and the University of Queensland.
The survey was developed to address gaps in available information on youth and environment issues in general, and to improve the evidence base to inform the policies and programs of government and non-government organisations.
An online survey was conducted in late 2008 for young people aged 12 to 17 and 18 to 24 in Queensland. The survey explored the environmental attitudes, knowledge and behaviours of young people.
Key Findings of the survey Environmental concern
The majority of young people in both age groups were highly concerned about the environment. The environment was the second most concerning issue after poverty and starvation.
Environmental behaviour
Despite relatively high levels of environmental concern, less than 10% of both age groups were very committed to acting in a pro-environmental way.
The most frequent pro-environmental actions young people engage in are recycling, conserving energy and conserving water. Only a minority of young people reported often or always planting trees, signing petitions, eating less meat and buying products with less packaging.
Environmental behaviour: facilitators and barriers
The highest rated facilitators of pro-environmental behaviour were believing you can make a difference and being part of a pro-environmental family.
The barriers to pro-environmental behaviour were a lack of alternatives, financial considerations, lack of time and laziness.
Environmental knowledge
Respondents reported moderate levels of knowledge about a selection of environmental issues. The lowest reported knowledge was about carbon capture and storage and geothermal energy, and the highest reported knowledge was about climate change.
Accuracy of responses to objective questions about environmental issues was high, except for an item asking whether climate change is caused by a hole in the ozone layer, which more than 50% of respondents incorrectly answered that it is.
Responsibility for protecting the environment
The majority of respondents for both age groups believed the Australian Government; followed by the Queensland Government, should be responsible for protecting the environment.
Government actions to protect the environment
There was very strong support among young people from both age groups for governments to take action to increase the supply of renewable energy and to create laws to prevent damage to the environment.
Environmental information sources
Schools and teachers, the internet and environmental groups were nominated as the most reliable sources of information from the younger age group.
The internet, environmental groups and newspapers were nominated as the most reliable sources of environmental information for the older group.
Television and newspapers were the most preferred sources of information for both age groups.
Determinants of environmental behaviour
Females were generally more concerned about and most likely to take positive action for the environment than males. Where to from here?
This research represents a first step in understanding the environmental knowledge, attitudes and behaviours of young Queenslanders. These findings will form the basis for further discussion on policy and program development, to encourage greater pro-environmental actions amongst Queensland’s young people. Feedback
Our vision is to work together with other organisations to empower young people to become more engaged in living environmentally sustainable lifestyles. We would welcome any comments or feedback you may have about the report findings and suggestions on how these findings may be used in government and non-government policies and programs. To contact us with your comments on the report findings please click on the link below: http://www.qyec.org.au/index.php/aboutus/contact-us
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