Research shows young Irish generations willing to make sacrifices to help climate

The Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) released reports from a new study which show that younger Irish generations are willing to make substantial sacrifices in their lives to lessen the effects of climate change.

In the survey of 500 young people (aged 16-24), more than 90% judge protecting the environment to be very important. While the majority believe the main responsibility is on the Government, they are still willing to change their everyday lives to combat climate change.

Nearly four in five young people support imposing fines on businesses that emit more than a certain amount of greenhouse gases. Over half strongly support banning non-essential domestic flights and creating car-free zones in towns or cities. 71% support lower taxes on carbon neutral goods. Two thirds believe renewable energy should be mandated, even if it is more expensive.

On a personal scale, nearly one in three of participants are prepared to give up meat and long-haul flights. Over a quarter are willing to live without a car, with two thirds supporting public transportation as a key environmental protection measure. 55% intend to lower the number of flights they take and a third are willing to avoid flying when possible.

The lead author of the report, Ylva Andersson, took away that "young people in Ireland are concerned about climate change and highly motivated to act." However, "they will need resources and leadership to act upon these motivations." The research found a gap in knowledge in which changes would have the greatest impact on carbon emissions. This is not unique to young people, as another ESRI study earlier this year showed that all age groups tend to not know the true impact of actions like eating less meat and recycling.