Growing up with climate change
It comes as no surprise that young people are at the forefront of climate change concerns.
At 13, I was worrying about how much carbon dioxide my mum’s car would release by our trip to the shops.
At 16, struggling to see the stars in the night sky – and realising that this was due to pollution – was a quiet breaking point in my sense of helplessness.
Not all young people share my experience of teenage climate anxiety. But, as we all know, an overwhelming majority of young people are alert to the importance of climate change.
The Clean Energy Solutions Index (CESI) 2025 data reveals that 87% of Gen Zers view climate change as important. This is higher than any other generation and 8% higher than the total average.
With this in mind, I am surprised to see the support from young people fall when we turn to solutions.
Young people and clean energy solutions to climate change
Apart from solar panel installation, support among young people for each clean energy solution measured in the Index was at least 12 percentage points lower than the share of young people who said climate change was important to them.
- For each solution:
- 75% of Gen Zers support solar battery installation
- 72% of Gen Zers support solar farms
- 64% of Gen Zers support renewable component manufacturing
- 62% of Gen Zers support onshore wind farms
- 61% of Gen Zers support green metal industry and gas-free industry conversion
- 59% of Gen Zers support offshore wind farms
- 58% of Gen Zers support renewable energy transmission
- 55% of Gen Zers support gas-free home conversions
- Only 50% of Gen Zers support electric vehicle purchases.
These figures represent a significant and consistent drop from the 87% of Gen Zers who view climate change as important.
I certainly can’t speak for the rest of my peers, and the exact reasoning behind this disconnect is a job for future projects to uncover.
But personally, by the age of 22, I am in a state of denial. I still view climate change as critically important. But for the sake of my own mental health, I have stepped away from the conversation.
My personal response appears to reflect a broader pattern in the Index, which measures willingness to talk positively about these solutions with family and friends. In the inaugural Index in 2025, those figures were generally lower than levels of support among Gen Z respondents.
For example, though 64% of Gen Zers support renewable component manufacturing, only 56% discuss this topic positively with their family and friends.
These days, I notice when Melbourne experiences torrential rains in November, records high temperatures in January, and has an uncharacteristic week of warm and sunny weather in April. But when my sister identifies these as the delights of climate change, I wished she wouldn’t say those words out loud.
Given my disconnect, when I look at the solutions in the index I would need some help from Google to answer any questions about them. I too, therefore, would show lower support for these climate solutions.
Working with other generations
However, what strikes me as we look to the future of clean energy is the perceptions of the rest of our population.
The Clean Energy Solutions Index reveals that only 19% of respondents do not view climate change as important.
While boomers are conventionally associated with climate scepticism or indifference, the index shows that 75% of this generation views climate change as important to them personally.
Additionally, the National Index Score (an average of the 11 individual solution scores) for boomers is only 1 point lower than the overall score, sitting at 59.
This older generation even shows 8% more support for renewable component manufacturing than my climate-anxious cohort of Gen Zers.
Although, as always, there is more work to be done, I am heartened to see consistent support among older generations for renewable energy in Australia.
For me, seeing this support injects hope into a topic that, for so long, was met with fear.
Conclusion
Australia’s path to clean energy will never be linear, but it is exciting to see support for solutions which used to feel so out of reach.
I look forward to the 2026 Clean Energy Solutions Index being released and, hopefully, watching this support continue to grow.
The Clean Energy Solutions Index (CESI) 2025 data reveals that 87% of Gen Zers view climate change as important. This is higher than any other generation and 8% higher than the total average. With this in mind, I am surprised to see the support from young people fall when we turn to solutions.
Source note:
Findings are based on the Clean Energy Solutions Index 2025,
The Clean Energy Solutions Index was developed by 89 Degrees East in collaboration with Boundless.
Relevant data points used here include the national support score, solution-level support scores, and key drivers and barriers for home solar and home batteries.
