The climate paradox of Dutch youth
A contradiction has emerged among Dutch young people. While their understanding of climate science has never been more sophisticated, their actual environmental behaviour is deteriorating. Recent research by Ipsos reveals climate concern among young Dutch adults has dropped from 71% in 2019 to 61% today, even as their knowledge of what constitutes sustainable behaviour has increased. This paradox exposes fundamental flaws in how we approach climate policy.
The data paints a picture of a generation trapped between idealism and pragmatism. Young Dutch people now fly 1.2 times annually compared to 0.9 times in 2023, purchase 41 items of clothing yearly (compared to 18 for over-65s), and report longer shower times despite knowing these behaviours harm the environment. This is not ignorance. It is rational economic behaviour in a system where sustainable choices remain expensive and inaccessible.
Economic realities and environmental priorities
The broader economic context cannot be ignored. Young Dutch people face housing shortages, rising living costs and uncertain employment prospects. These are immediate concerns which take precedence over longer-term environmental issues. This prioritisation is a rational response to harsh economic pressures.
Government environmental policies often exacerbate these economic challenges. Energy taxes, transport restrictions and building regulations that aim to combat climate change increase living costs precisely when young people struggle most with affordability. A 25-year-old facing housing costs which consume half their income quite reasonably prioritises immediate financial survival over long-term environmental goals.
Market-based approaches would align economic and environmental incentives rather than placing them in opposition. When sustainable options become cheaper and more convenient than alternatives, as solar panels and electric vehicles are beginning to do in some markets, behaviour changes naturally without government coercion.
The social dimension
The study reveals another crucial insight: young people’s environmental behaviour is heavily influenced by social norms and peer pressure. The rise of cheap fashion websites and travel-promoting influencers shapes behaviour more powerfully than government campaigns or environmental education.
Consumer preferences, expressed through purchasing decisions, ultimately drive cultural change more effectively than top-down messaging. When companies compete to offer attractive sustainable options, and when early adopters demonstrate their benefits, social norms shift organically. In contrast, government attempts to change behaviour through regulation often backfire by creating resentment and resistance.
Local versus global action
The tension between local action and global coordination appears throughout the research. Young people recognise that their individual efforts represent ‘drops in the ocean’ if major industrial emitters continue their current practices. This perspective supports focusing on innovation and economic efficiency rather than symbolic gestures.
Some policy approaches naturally address this coordination problem. Successful innovations spread globally through competitive advantage, while regulatory approaches remain confined to specific jurisdictions. Dutch companies which develop superior environmental technologies can export them worldwide, multiplying their impact beyond what domestic regulation could achieve.
A desire for accessible environmentalism
Young people’s actions and views on green issues are neither uninformed nor hypocritical. The young want to see the environment protected, but they do not think taking shorter showers or buying fewer clothes is the way to achieve that. Reading between the lines of the research, it suggests young people want environmentalism to become more accessible.
The younger generations of today and tomorrow are less willing than past generations to accept sweeping statements that certain actions or industries are ‘bad for the environment’ and change their behaviour accordingly. Instead, they want to know about real, pragmatic ways to make a tangible difference to saving the planet. ‘Climate is an abstract concept for young people because it has little visible influence on their immediate environment,’ say the researchers.
These young people are individualists, not collectivists. If the environmental movement wants to bring these self-aware young people aboard, it can no longer rely on youngsters to agree that anything eco-friendly must automatically be the right thing to do. They will need to make a case for what real-world impact those everyday choices will have. Only then will the young be willing to do their bit to save the planet.
Written by Jason Reed