‘Generation COP’ Is Less Fearful Than Older People About Climate
People born after the first United Nations climate summit in 1995 are more worried about rising prices than global warming, a new survey finds.
Demonstrators protest against the Bank of England’s approach to fighting inflation outside its headquarters in the City of London on Aug. 3, 2023.
Photographer: Hollie Adams/BloombergDespite record global temperatures, catastrophic flooding and searing wildfires this year, nearly half of young participants in a major global survey across 39 economies believe they will personally avoid a climate disaster during their lifetime.
Seiko Epson Corp.’s third annual Climate Reality Barometer report, which surveyed more than 30,000 people, found that nearly 49% of respondents aged 16 to 29 are “very optimistic” or “somewhat optimistic” they won’t be impacted by events like floods, droughts or landslides, and that number dwindled to just 32% for participants 55 and older. Rising costs are a bigger concern than global warming for people 29 and younger, though a changing climate was the top issue for those 30 and older.