Young people trust in themselves to lead the change towards a sustainable future – only 1 out of 10 believe in adults
Young people are not only willing to drastically change their lifestyle in order to save the planet. They also see themselves as sustainable advocates and leaders towards a more sustainable future, according to a new global study from Electrolux revealing the thoughts of almost 14,000 young people around the world.
As part of Electrolux’s vision and bold 2030 targets for a better and more sustainable living, the company has conducted a large study set out to examine young people’s views on sustainable living now and in the future. The study finds young people mainly trust in themselves (37%), scientists (27%), and influencers (17%) to lead the change towards a sustainable future, while only one out of ten believe adults will take on the responsibility. Four out of ten (43%) also believe young people will actually solve the climate crisis.
Based on the results from the study, Electrolux is exploring possible solutions for better living together with their new team of change-makers consisting of eight young people representing seven countries from around the world, eager to drive positive change. The team also includes members such as Orsola de Castro, co-founder of Fashion Revolution, and other established players. The change-makers team is working in sessions together with Electrolux Innovation Hub, a dedicated research- and design team with a mission to explore possible solutions for future sustainable homes. Insights from the survey and the change-maker sessions will then be used by Electrolux in its strive to create new innovations.
“We believe there’s a big opportunity in combining different perspectives in order to shape a better future. That’s why we want to involve young minds already today, as the actions we take today will define the future they will live in. As the study shows, young people have a very determinant and proactive mindset when it comes to sustainability, it's their future at stake and they want to be part, or actually take lead, in creating solutions for the future home”, says Tove Chevalley, Head of Electrolux Innovation Hub.
Not only does the next generation see themselves as the future leaders, 49 percent see themselves as sustainable advocates actively trying to influence others to live more sustainably already today. A majority (57%) is willing to drastically change their lifestyle in order to save the planet. But while young people are willing to do their part, they also feel frustrated over the failures of the previous generation – 6 out of 10 agree young people have to take care of what previous generations have messed up, and a majority (57%) feel that young people try to make themselves heard but no one listens.
The keys to sustainable living – according to the youth
Education about sustainability issues (73%) and green innovations (69%) are stated as the most important solutions in order to transition to a more sustainable society, according to the study. When it comes to their future homes, young people focus on sustainable solutions for food, water, and energy, which is more important to them than smart features without a clear sustainability aspect.
They are also willing to invest time and energy in food, and would prefer to produce their own food and spend time on plant-based cooking rather than having time-efficient solutions like ready-to-eat meals or not cooking at all.
"To meet the needs of the future generation, we need to move the focus from smart homes full of cool features and gadgets, to a discussion of a home that is built to enable sustainable living. It is clear that this generation’s focus on sustainability is highly present when they are thinking about their future living. Sustainability is our first priority in everything we do at Electrolux and inviting young people to take part in shaping future living helps us move beyond conventional thinking and see new, more sustainable solutions”, says Tove Chevalley at Electrolux.
About the 2030 targets
The study is part of realizing the Electrolux Group’s vision and bold 2030 targets for a better and more sustainable living. Focusing on better eating, better garment care, better home environment, and better company, the targets widen the scope of Electrolux commitment to sustainability. It enables the company to contribute in a more meaningful way in bringing solutions to global challenges.
Selected findings:
The future of food and cooking
The most important things young people want to do in their future home is to produce their own food (36%), compost or recycle all food waste (34%) and cook tasty plant-based food (34%). Only 12% want to eat ready meals instead of cooking themselves, 12% believe they will eat lab produced meat, 9% that they will eat protein based on insects and only 10% believe they won’t have to cook at all in the future.
The future of clothes and clothing care
In terms of future sustainable clothing habits, young people most commonly pointed to investing in high-quality clothes (67%) and taking care of and repairing their clothes to make them last longer (65%). 26% believe they will be wearing virtual clothes by 2030 and 27% sees renting their clothes would be a sustainable behavior practiced in 2030.
The future of well-being at home
When it comes to young people’s view well-being at their future home, they see smart systems mainly as a tool to provide advice and support in their daily lives. They want it to give health advice (36%), exercise routines (34%), dietary advice (33%) as well as guidelines and recommendations for a sustainable life (32%). They also see its role in protecting from outside toxins (35 %).
About the study
The study was conducted by analysis firm United Minds on behalf of Electrolux, including a quantitative survey as well as in-depth interviews. The quantitative digital survey was conducted amongst 15–20-year-olds in 13 countries (Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, France, Germany, Israel, Poland, Sweden, Thailand, UK, USA, Vietnam) including 1 000 respondents in each market (a total of 13 886 respondents). Respondents were provided by the survey panelists provider CINT. 17 in depth-interviews were performed amongst 15–20-year-olds including all 13 markets. Data collection took place between the 19th of February-16th of March 2021.
Read the full study at https://www.betterlivingprogram.com/bl-2030/en
For further information, please contact Electrolux Press Hotline, +46 8 657 65 07.
Electrolux is a leading global appliance company that has shaped living for the better for more than 100 years. We reinvent taste, care and wellbeing experiences for millions of people, always striving to be at the forefront of sustainability in society through our solutions and operations. Under our brands, including Electrolux, AEG and Frigidaire, we sell approximately 60 million household products in approximately 120 markets every year. In 2020 Electrolux had sales of SEK 116 billion and employed 48,000 people around the world. For more information go to www.electroluxgroup.com
