The project “Future? Asking Young People!” aimed to explore young people's environmental awareness and their willingness to engage in environmental action in Germany. Against the backdrop of the growing global environmental and climate crisis, the Federal Environment Agency in Germany (UBA), in collaboration with the Federal Ministry for the Environment (BMUV), sought to better understand the attitudes and behaviours of the younger generation in order to develop effective measures to promote environmental and climate protection. To this end, the UBA is committed to conducting regular studies to capture young people’s views on environmental and climate issues.
Verian conducted a representative online survey of young people aged 14 to 22, complemented by qualitative components such as intergenerational dialogues, an online community, and a workshop with young people who are less engaged with sustainability topics to support dissemination of the findings.
A Youth Advisory Board supported the project team throughout all phases of the project—from design to interpretation and dissemination of results. This participatory approach was a defining feature of the project, ensuring that the voices of the young target group were incorporated into all key decisions. Verian also brought extensive expertise in conducting social research studies and analysing environmental awareness and engagement.
The findings were prepared in various formats to ensure wide dissemination and accessibility. Working closely with the UBA project team, Verian developed a visually engaging, target group–appropriate brochure, which was presented at the youth forum “Environment. Crisis. Future?” on 31 May 2024 and discussed with young participants in a series of workshops. In addition, we produced a comprehensive final report summarising the study findings and providing recommendations for policymakers and educational institutions.
The “Future? Asking Young People!” study provides the Federal Environment Agency with robust insights into the attitudes and behaviours of young people. These insights form a key evidence base for developing educational programmes and policy measures tailored to the needs and perspectives of the younger generation.
In this way, the study contributes to strengthening environmental awareness and encouraging greater engagement among young people. In the long term, this can lead to increased youth participation in environmental and climate protection measures, thereby making a positive contribution to addressing major challenges in this field.
The study also supports the overarching goal of the Federal Environment Agency to strengthen environmental and climate protection in Germany and to raise societal awareness of sustainable practices. By incorporating the perspectives of young people, it helps ensure that future measures are both effective in the long term and socially accepted.