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The year 2019 was marked by numerous strikes and mobilizations of young people to protect the climate. But the Research Center for the Study and Observation of Living Conditions (CREDOC) points to a paradox: young people are really worried about the climate, but they are also heavy consumers.
They prefer cycling or public transport to the car and they are happy to buy second-hand cars. The environment is also the number one concern of young people, ahead of immigration and unemployment.
However, they continue to consume a lot ... even too much. Exactly like previous generations, in fact. Leading their purchases: smartphones, tablets and computers, the highly polluting field of technological innovation.
►Read also: [infographic] Digital pollution, an invisible scourge
Young people also favor smart purchases during sales. At the end of the day, they buy more things for less. Objects that generally end up in the trash after a few years. In France, for 20% of 18-24 year olds, consuming is a real pleasure. This is 8 points more than the average for the population.
Same in Europe
Same reality on a European scale, also linked to the life cycle: most young people are students and therefore have a less stable situation. It is more difficult to buy organic and local and generally more expensive. An exception that proves the rule: young Swedish people have more sustainable practices than the rest of the country's population.
The study suggests several avenues for promoting concrete action for the environment with young people. Among them: show the personal benefits linked to changes in practices, such as eating better, or even promote sustainable and trendy practices such as buying clothes in thrift stores .