Gen Z Is Turning Their Climate Change Anxiety Into Activism, Here’s Why

In June 2024, 13 young people in Hawaii took on their state government in court and won the right to have greater input in climate policy.

They sued the state for infringing on their right to “a clean and healthful environment”, as promised under the State constitution. In victory, the young people forced a number of concessions including a pledge to pursue net zero by 2040 and over USD 40 million investment in electric vehicles over the next six years.

Gen Z Is Turning Their Climate Change Anxiety Into Activism, Here’s Why
The challenges posed by climate change anxiety for Gen Z are profound and multifaceted (representational)

Perth, Australia: In June 2024, 13 young people in Hawaii took on their state government in court and won the right to have greater input in climate policy. They sued the state for infringing on their right to “a clean and healthful environment”, as promised under the State constitution.

In victory, the young people forced a number of concessions including a pledge to pursue net zero by 2040 and over USD 40 million investment in electric vehicles over the next six years. Young people are turning to activism as a way to process the emotional weight of a world in crisis.

From Greta Thunberg to Australia’s Anjali Sharma, there are plenty of people in Gen Z who are taking action on climate. Despite the United Nations also adding the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 2022 which further opens the possibility to take governments to the courts, it’s not easy.

Gen Z is growing up in an era where the impacts of climate change are both immediate and undeniable and it’s leaving them feeling powerless. Generation Z – those born between 1995 and 2010 – make up 30 per cent of the global population. In Australia’s latest census, Gen Z accounted for 18.2 per cent (or 4.6 million) of the country’s 25 million population.

Unlike previous generations, who had time to gradually adjust to the realities of environmental transformations, Generation Z is acutely aware of the ecological crises unfolding around them, leading to a deep sense of environmental anxiety.

Distress and fear
As a result, many digitally connected, globally aware Gen Zers experience intense climate anxiety, characterised by chronic fear, distress and deep concern for the planet’s future.

A survey of Australian Gen Z university students was conducted between September 2021 and April 2022 with 446 participants which revealed that climate change is their top environmental concern.

They often feel let down by older generations, governments and institutions, whose actions seem inadequate in the face of the growing evidence about the environmental threats the world and Australia in particular face.

More than 80 per cent of the young people participating in the survey expressed significant worry and many experienced severe climate anxiety.

This anxiety manifests in various forms, including eco-anxiety, solastalgia (distress triggered by environmental changes) and climate grief, reflecting the complex emotional landscape of a generation coming of age amid a global environmental emergency.

The situation Gen Z faces and their future prospects are further exacerbated by the complexity of other developments resulting in what is known as a polycrisis, a “great disagreement, confusion, or suffering that is caused by many different problems happening at the same time so that they together have a very big effect.”

Existential threat
Eco-anxiety, a chronic fear of an environmental catastrophe, arises from the perception that climate change poses an existential threat.

For many in Gen Z, the overwhelming nature of this threat leads to persistent worry and stress. This is also fuelled by the sense of urgency and responsibility they think they have to comply with.

Gen Z is witnessing their local natural environments and the broader global ecosystem undergo rapid, often destructive and irreversible changes, including biodiversity loss, species extinction and the degradation of ecosystems.

Many experience profound grief which is tied not just to physical harm, but also to the loss of hope for a stable and prosperous future.

With 96 per cent of Australian Gen Zs believing that climate change is human-made, young people are experiencing heightened levels of stress, anxiety and depression as they grapple with the realities of a warming planet.

For some members of Gen Z, the constant stream of climate-related news, coupled with personal experiences of climate-related calamities, such as wildfires, floods, droughts or cyclones, leads to a form of trauma that can have long-lasting effects on mental health.

A generational crisis
For Gen Z, climate change anxiety is not just about fear of environmental destruction; it is also about grappling with a crisis of identity and purpose.

As they come of age in a world that seems increasingly unstable and unpredictable, many young people are questioning what kind of future they can expect to have, and whether it is even ethical to plan for the future in traditional ways, such as pursuing professional careers, starting families or buying homes, when the planet is in such peril.

This crisis of identity is further complicated by the pressure to act. Many young people feel a deep sense of responsibility to address climate change, but this can also ignite feelings of guilt and shame when they perceive their actions as insufficient.

The weight of this responsibility can be overwhelming, leading to burnout and a sense of futility.

The role of activism
In response to these challenges, some members of Gen Z are channelling their anxiety into activism.

Climate activism is seen as a way to regain a sense of control and agency in the face of overwhelming challenges.

This activism takes many forms, from participating in global climate strikes to advocating for sustainable policies at the local level. However, activism is not a panacea for climate anxiety.

This is seen from the answers of 65 per cent of Australia’s university Gen Z who do not engage in traditional climate activism, but instead are using technology and social media to voice their concerns.

While it can provide a sense of purpose and community, activism can also be exhausting. The constant need to fight for change, coupled with the slow pace of progress, can lead to burnout and exacerbate mental health issues.

Additionally, the pressure to always be “on” and engaged in activism can be mentally and emotionally draining, leading to further feelings of hopelessness and despair.

Mental health support
Given the significant mental health challenges posed by climate change anxiety, there is a growing recognition of the need for robust mental health support for Gen Z.

This support must be tailored to address the unique challenges of climate anxiety, experiencing unprecedented levels of fear and despair, and feelings of hopelessness that are so prevalent among young people.

There is a need for more mental health professionals trained to understand and address eco-anxiety and related issues. Therapeutic interventions that focus on building resilience, fostering a sense of agency and helping young people navigate their complex emotions are crucial.

Building supportive communities where young people can share their experiences, particularly positive outcomes, and feelings about climate change is also important.

These communities can provide a sense of solidarity and help combat the isolation that often accompanies climate anxiety. Schools and educational institutions can play a key role in addressing climate anxiety by incorporating discussions about mental health and climate change into their curricula.

By providing young people with the tools to understand and cope with their emotions, educational initiatives can help mitigate the psychological impacts of climate anxiety.

The way forward
The challenges posed by climate change anxiety for Gen Z are indeed profound and multifaceted.

However, the importance and urgency of their role cannot be overstated. With the climate crisis in a time of polycrisis worsening, Gen Z’s involvement in shaping a resilient and sustainable future is critical.

Their unique perspective and relentless drive for change position them as key players in responding to global warming as well as in bridging generational divides, fostering global cooperation and ensuring that climate action is grounded in science and equity.