How do young people in France perceive environmental issues, and to what extent are their concerns reflected in their behaviour? As with any approach based on generational differences, this question needs to be addressed carefully to avoid resorting to stereotypes.
A number of recently published surveys highlight the discrepancy between young people’s strong awareness of environmental degradation and their behaviours, which continue to be largely geared towards hyper-consumption. This discrepancy can be explained by three main factors: the fatalism of the younger generation with regard to environmental issues, the existence of other concerns, and their lack of information about the behavioural changes they could make.
Young people in France are aware of environmental issues, but are particularly fatalistic
According to a survey carried out in 2023 by the French Agency for Ecological Transition (ADEME), almost 80% of 15-25 year-olds say they attach more importance to environmental issues than those around them do. The majority believe that “the world is in a bad way”, marked as it is by a succession of endless crises with no prospect of improvement. They attribute this situation to over-consumption and over-production, but also to the greedy and selfish nature of human beings. As a result, a majority of the young people questioned feel that “it is already too late to limit climate change before it
