There is a common misconception around the views of different generations on climate change and what needs to be done about it. Many people believe that those in older generations don’t care about the impacts of climate change as shown by a survey of the UK public that found that “49% think Baby Boomers and those in older generations are most likely to say there’s no point changing their behavior to tackle climate change”.
Despite this belief, research has shown that the generational divide on climate change isn’t actually as substantial as people think. 2024 surveys from the UK government showed that there was very little difference between each generation that believes climate change is one of the top issues being faced in the country, with the youngest and oldest generation tied at 59%. Research from the US, Australia and New Zealand showed that while these countries have generational gaps, they are not huge in the US, and in New Zealand, the rate of increase in climate change beliefs is the same across generations.
One area where the UK study did reveal a generational gap is in the emotional response to climate change, with older generations reporting lower responses. People in younger generations were more likely to express feelings of outrage, guilt and fear, although there wasn’t a large gap in the amount of worry across generations.
So while there isn’t a big difference in the belief about climate change, there is a bit more of a gap in what to do about it. A 2025 US Ipsos study found that older generations tended to focus on the impact of individual lifestyle changes, whereas younger generations are more focused on systemic change. A survey found that 54% of people ages 18-34 believed that changes from large corporations and government could make a difference, but that individual action would not help reduce climate change. This is a much higher percentage than the 19% of people aged 55 and up who believed the same.
Instead of spending time and energy fighting each other, we should focus more on understanding that people of every age are concerned about climate change. Let's see what we can accomplish when we can come together to build connections across all generations.