Survey: Young People Consider Waste Management the Most Important Environmental Issue

Young people from Generation Z (17-26 years old) and millennials (27-35 years old) are increasingly aware of environmental issues and their impact on daily life. According to a survey by Indikator Politik Indonesia, the most important environmental issue is garbage.

This was stated by 62% of respondents from this age group. Specifically, 64% were from the 17-26 age group and 60% were from the 27-35 age group.

46% of young people consider air pollution to be the most important environmental issue. Furthermore, 41% of respondents considered the pollution of rivers, lakes, and groundwater to be the most important environmental issue.

Climate change is next, with 39%. Then, 29% of young respondents considered frequent flooding to be the most important environmental issue currently.

The majority, or 68%, of young respondents believe that the climate crisis is caused by human activity. Only about 14% of respondents believe that the climate crisis is not caused by human activity.

The issue of climate change is also generally considered a serious problem. Young people believe that the negative consequences of climate change are felt at the global, Indonesian, and local levels.

Indikator conducted the survey using a stratified multistage random sampling method with 3,020 respondents aged 17 to 35 years from September 9-16, 2021. The response rate was 3,623 people, or 90.1% of the total respondents.