You’d think that Generation Y, defined as those who are now between 18-24, would care more about the planet than previous generations. After all, the idea of human-caused climate disruption has generally been accepted as scientific fact in the political and media spheres since Al Gore’s 2006 documentary, An Inconvenient Truth.
But here is another inconvenient truth. A study commissioned by IBM on the environmental habits in the United Kingdom found that while Gen Yers may seem like the most informed age group when it comes to environmental issues, they actually have the worst habits when it comes to wasting water and energy.
“The good news is that Generation Y is showing clear concern for environmental issues,” according to IBM’s Jon Z Bentley. “The not-so-good news is that far too few are taking even simple, small steps to control their own wasteful use of resources.”
The survey qualified water and energy wasters by asking whether they left the sink on while brushing teeth or knew which appliances were more energy efficient. For example, 55 percent of Gen-Yers didn’t know that tumble dryers use more energy than incandescent light bulbs, compared to 43 percent for the entire population sample.
What do you think are the implications of this study for the green business movement?
