- Four in five parents in London say a healthy environment is equally or more important to inherit than wealth
- Parents say tackling climate change and biodiversity loss are as important to kids’ futures as education
- Two thirds of parents are concerned about the impact of climate change on children’s futures
- Kids’ climate anxieties include extreme weather, food shortages, and air quality
Four in five parents (82%) in London say it’s equally (56%) or more (27%) important for their children to inherit environmental wealth like clean air, clean waterways, and a stable climate than financial wealth like money and property, according to a new poll* by Parents for Future UK, the UK’s biggest parent climate movement.
Over two thirds of parents (69%) say they are concerned about the impact of climate change on their kids, and when asked about the most important things to their children’s future, environmental factors like tackling climate change and biodiversity loss were seen by parents to be as important as a good education.
The worry about climate change is shared by children, with four in five (83%) parents saying their kids have shared concerns about climate change, particularly those aged 8-11 (96% expressed a concern).
Children’s top climate concerns
1. Extreme weather events (51%)
2. Poorer air quality (43%)
3. Rising sea levels and coastal erosion (33%)
4. Mass migration (29%)
5. Food shortages (27%)
Whilst most parents have made lifestyle changes to help tackle climate change, including how they travel (62%), moving pensions and investments (62%) or adjusting their diet (55%), over half (53%) say their children want them to do more.
Charlotte Howell, co-director of Parents for Future said, “As parents, the most important thing we can ever do is keep our children safe, now and into the future. Extreme weather events are becoming the new normal and our kids are quite rightly worried. It’s clear parents are increasingly concerned, but we need to turn that concern into action. And the most impactful start is supporting a move away from fossil fuels.”
Parents for Future has launched a new campaign, “Protect Our Kids’ Future“, in partnership with Potential Energy and Mission 2025. The campaign is urging parents to start a conversation with their friends and family about the climate crisis. In the wake of extreme weather events across the UK, like flooding and heat, it aims to inspire and engage people across the UK to create the diverse and inclusive community needed to move away from fossil fuels.
Matthew Phillips, Lead, Groundswell (Convenor of Mission 2025), said, “Mission 2025 is a coalition of businesses, leaders, scientists, and activists, dedicated to pushing forward climate plans that will dramatically accelerate clean energy economic growth. This campaign is exactly the kind of effort we need to inspire people to act and show support for common sense clean energy solutions.”
The poll also shows strong support for government action on climate, with three in five (60%) parents saying they would support government policies like phasing out fossil fuels to reduce the impacts of climate change on their kids. Support rose to 70% for parents aged 55+.
John Marshall, CEO of Potential Energy, said: “The most effective way to mobilize support for climate action is through love and the desire to protect future generations. This narrative is at the heart of the Protect Our Kids’ Future Campaign. This campaign shows that later is too late to act on climate change and everyone has a stake in the outcome.”
Featured Photo by Ricardo Maruri on Unsplash.