Is the future sustainable? Analysis of Generation Z’s social awareness of sustainable development in Poland

The concept of sustainable development is “the idea of a pathway for change in the life of humanity in the 21st century so as to ensure that it and future generations have both a proper existence and the opportunity to meet their needs” (Siuta-Tokarska 2020). In the literature on the subject, many publications cite the 1970s as the beginning of the concept of sustainable development in socio-economic life, as it was a time of environmental revolution and the development of environmental awareness (Görgen & Wendt 2015). Of particular importance were the UN Conference of 14 June 1972, which recognised that “man has a grave responsibility to protect and wisely manage the heritage of wildlife and its habitats” (United Nations 1972), and the Club of Rome’s “Limits to Growth” report issued the same year, which emphasised the importance of resource limitation. It was noted that both the population and its needs are constantly growing, and the depletion of resources poses a threat. This led to the conclusion that steering the economy towards constant growth may result in exceeding the limits of the so-called ecological capacity. In the 1987 World Commission on Environment and Development report “Our Common Future”, Gro Harlem Brundtland defined the essence of the issue as follows: “Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (WCED 1987). The essence of the concept is the assumption that the task of each generation is to leave to its successors at least as much of the productive base as it inherited from the earlier generation (Dasgupta 2007; Leźnicki & Lewandowska 2016; Lewandowska & Szymańska 2021).

In 2016, the new UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development came into force, initiating 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (United Nations 2016). They are an illustration of the new economic, social, and environmental development goals (Cai & Choi 2020), and are the result of international efforts to achieve sustainable development (Bolton 2021). They describe a multifaceted package of interrelated challenges and include environmental degradation, economic transformation and governance, and social disparities and exclusion (Fukuda-Parrac & Muchhala 2020).

Generation Z’s perception of sustainable development was taken up by many researchers, which confirms the timeliness of the considerations undertaken. The results of research conducted by Italian scientists show that the content related to sustainable development that appears on social media affects both the sustainable habits and sustainable consumption behaviour of Generation Z (Confetto et al. 2023). In turn, the results of research by Greek researchers revealed that the perception of sustainable development is associated with the development of the involvement of Generation Z in both agritourism and ecotourism. These findings indicate a strong relationship between perceptions of sustainability and engagement in alternative tourism (Sevastiadou et al. 2021).

Research on sustainability and perception was also conducted in Romania. Based on research by Dragolea et al., there is a positive relationship between the sustainable behaviour of Gen Z consumers and the satisfaction it gives them. In addition, researchers have shown a positive relationship with the perception of sustainable development and environmental protection activities (Dragolea et al. 2023). However, there is no connection between the sustainable behaviour of Generation Z consumers and various organisation’s green marketing practices or issues of corporate social responsibility in its environmental dimension (Song et al. 2020).

The age boundaries of Generation Z are not strictly defined and vary in the literature depending on the aspects adopted, including sociological ones. The impact of spatial variation should also be noted here, which is important due to the divergence of living conditions on a continental as well as a global scale, which translates directly into lifestyles. The differently defined age ranges of the analysed generation are presented in Table 1.

After conducting an in-depth literature review, the authors decided that it was reasonable to consider people who were born between 1995 and 2010 as Generation Z.

This is the first global generation (Homo Globalis), which means that its members are growing up in a time of deepening globalisation, and they are increasingly connected by the same food, fashion, and places. Globalisation also appears in their language because they use words and expressions that members of other generations do not use and often do not understand (Törőcsik et al. 2014). It is also the first generation to grow up in an era of full and advanced digitalisation. According to Singh & Dangmei (2016), their lives are more connected to electronics and the digital world than the real world. Furthermore, this generation is distinguished by being more entrepreneurial and less motivated by money than Generation Y. These latter characteristics may be crucial when it comes to this generation’s perception of the concept of sustainable development and the implementation of its doctrine, as they don’t pay attention to personal gain and the desire for profit. However, most of the studies that considered the impact of Generation Z, or youth, on sustainability, dealt with aspects of youth preference for sustainable products, business innovation, seeking employment in companies supporting sustainability, or other market and industry-based observations (De Feis 2018; Amesheva et al. 2019; Amoako et al. 2020; Pimonenko et al. 2020). For people belonging to this generation, influenced by their greater social awareness and sense of responsibility, it is becoming more important to fight for the common good for present and future generations. It is important to understand how Generation Z shows such concern for sustainability across different socio-economic backgrounds through their actions and their understanding of sustainable development. This cohort is therefore strongly pro-environment, among other things. It should be emphasised that their pro-environmental demands are closely linked to their knowledge of how eco-development could be supported through the development of modern technological solutions. The green economy and the transition towards a digital, intelligent economy are the main objectives of the European Union’s post-2020 cohesion policy.

The research was divided into three phases (Fig. 1). The first involved a literature search on sustainability and environmental awareness. In the second, the most important stage, a survey was prepared and carried out. The final stage was to analyse the results of the survey and to verify the objectives set, as well as to formulate and visualise conclusions.

Figure 1.

The survey was conducted among representatives of Generation Z on a sample of 1172 people, between 8 and 20 November 2021 in all cities in Poland (Fig. 2). The results were compiled using IBM SPSS software.

Figure 2.

The assessment of Generation Z’s perception of sustainable development was based on a CAWI survey (N=1172). A survey is a quantitative statistical tool involving direct contact with the respondent. The core of this type of research is a questionnaire, through which the opinion of the people in the research sample is examined. The survey questionnaire contained 23 questions divided into four sections: 1) demographics – basic information about the respondents; 2) general issues relating to sustainable development; 3) everyday life in the context of sustainable development; 4) sustainable development-related knowledge and education.

The survey was conducted among representatives of Generation Z. The majority of respondents were women (60.60%). Men accounted for 39.40% of respondents. Almost half of the respondents were in the 21–25 age range (49.00%). The second largest group was under 18 years old (21.00%). The vast majority (53.00%) of the Generation Z representatives surveyed were university students (53.00%). In terms of place of residence, respondents mainly came from cities with more than 100,000 inhabitants (49.00%).

A prelude to exploring Generation Z’s perception of sustainable development was to learn more about their associations with sustainable development. They most often associated this concept with environmental protection (11.80%), balance (8.15%) and ecology (7.90%).

Representatives of Generation Z were also asked which sustainability goals were most important to them. Over 40 % of respondents indicated that all objectives mentioned in the question were equally important. This proves that Generation Z in Poland understands the mechanisms of sustainable development, knowing it should encompass every aspect of life. Respondents indicated the economic benefits of sustainable development as the least important objective (Fig. 3).

Figure 3.

Essential information was provided by the structure of the answer to the question: “Do you think that applying sustainable development principles can prevent negative climate change and climate catastrophe?” Most of the respondents (56.00%) answered “yes”, which shows a positive attitude. This proves the high awareness of the respondents that the most important things are real, practical actions that they undertake on a daily basis. Attention should be paid to a large percentage of responses: “I have no opinion” (31.00%), which proves the lack of knowledge of this group of respondents, or their avoidance of this topic. On the other hand, 13.00% of respondents are sceptical about sustainable development and its influence on inhibiting negative climate changes.

Interesting information is provided by an analysis of Generation Z’s responses to the next question: “To what extent are your grandparents/parents/peers interested in sustainability?” It turns out that grandparents are generally less interested in this topic (48.00%); at the opposite pole are peers who are more (the most) curious about this topic (46.00%). Parents are an intermediate group who, according to the respondents, are most often interested to the same extent as them but, at the same time, the percentage of less interested parents is higher than the percentage of less interested peers (Table 2).

These results testify to a generational transition currently taking place in Poland, which is based on changes in the political system, Poland’s accession to the European Union and, consequently, changes in world views. These changes are undoubtedly also influenced by the progressing globalisation process.

After analysing the general issues of sustainable development, we present the results regarding the everyday life of the respondents in the context of sustainable development. In this part of the survey, respondents answered the question: “In your opinion, does popularising the idea of sustainable development in everyday life translate into achieving the sustainable development goals?” The “hard to say” answer was chosen most often (42.00%), which may result from the Polish reality, namely that respondents had to take society as a whole into account, which (as confirmed by other studies) differs significantly from the societies of Western European countries due to the lasting impact of the past regime. However, the proportion of “probably yes” answers is positive at 36.00%. Only 10.00% said “definitely yes”, which confirms the previous considerations, while the low share of “probably not” (8.00%) and “definitely not” (4.00%) is encouraging.

When it comes to assessing the general public’s interest in the idea of sustainable development, most respondents rate it as average – 42.58%. The answers show a normal distribution – they are fairly evenly distributed, but leaning towards negative opinions: very bad (6.91%) versus very good (6.14%), bad (26.45%) versus good (17.92%) (Fig. 4).

Figure 4.

The next question analysed concerned activities that the respondents carry out in their everyday life, which could be seeds of sustainable development (Fig. 5). The largest percentage of responses pertained to the segregation of waste (23.44%). Almost one-fifth of the responses concerned buy/use second-hand items (18.67%). Third place was taken by “I consciously choose everyday products” (14.10%), and 13.80% indicated the use of public transport. Other options were considered slightly less frequently – at about 10.00% (reducing media consumption, rational use of natural and material goods, and sharing products/objects).

Figure 5.

The next step of exploring Generation Z’s perception of sustainable development was to learn more about their general knowledge of the concept. Respondents described their knowledge in this respect mostly as “medium” or “good” (40.00% and 30.00%, respectively). The other answers were: “bad” (12.00%), “very good” (11.00%) and “very bad” (7.00%).

The study shows that Generation Z in Poland learns about sustainable development from a variety of sources. The main ones include the information provided during university classes or lessons at school (30.00%). Social media (20.00%) plays an important role among Gen Zers. It is from this that they draw information not only about sustainable development but also about many different aspects of daily, cultural or political life. Respondents also indicated that they get their knowledge from television (20.00%).

The last part of the survey dealt with assessing the level of respondents’ knowledge in relation to the different components of sustainable development, and the need for education in the context of sustainable development.

When analysing the knowledge of sustainable development, we should emphasise that, in all areas studied, the respondents most often evaluated it as average. Respondents rated their knowledge of sustainable waste management the highest (26.00% – “high level of knowledge”) and of sustainable planning of infrastructural and settlement systems the lowest (39.00% responded “low” and only 15.00% “high”). The results regarding the level of knowledge of the other analysed components of sustainable development, such as sustainable transport, sustainable water management and sustainable energy management are presented in Table 3.

The next step was to identify the need for further education on sustainability among the respondents. The highest percentage (81.00%) of Gen Zers expressed the desire for further education, which clearly demonstrates the continued need to implement measures to increase public knowledge. Only 8.00% of respondents replied “No” and 11.00% answered “I don’t know”.

The final question concerned the most desirable forms of knowledge enhancement (Fig. 6). Most respondents would be happy to attend meetings at outdoor events and picnics (18.52%) and take part in additional activities at school/college (17.95%). The fewest showed interest in dedicated fields of study, which indicates that there is no need to create new fields of study with sustainable development at the core, but to add such elements to the curriculum in primary school, secondary school or university, and to organise interesting training forms such as workshops.

Figure 6.

The set of the most important conclusions was presented using the average mental path, which represents the main views of Generation Z. Their general knowledge is at a good level. The respondents obtained it mainly during school education or further study. The respondents treat sustainable development as an opportunity to counteract negative climate change. They usually associate sustainable development with ecology.

In everyday life, respondents equate sustainable development mainly with the segregation of waste. The dominant view among the Generation Z is that society is restrained in the concept of sustainable development. When it comes to interest in this subject from a multigenerational perspective, there is a noticeable decline in interest with age (the grandparents of the representatives of Generation Z are the least interested).

Conclusions end with issues related to education. The respondents declare their willingness to expand their knowledge in the field of sustainable development. They assess the current level of education in this area as average or bad in all spheres (Fig. 7).

Figure 7.

Gen Zers referred to SD in a positive manner in this study. The majority of the respondents identified the interlinked nature of SDGs and opted for the “all are equally important” option. However, the second highest share of respondents mostly associated with the environmental aspect of SD.

In a study titled “… Millennials want more of the same things ”, Magni & Manzoni (2020) showed that millennials have greater expectations towards job security than Generation Z. Although the study addressed millennials, it brought out the difference in the economic expectations of two generational cohorts. Consideration of this difference would be necessary for creating inclusive sustainable economic growth policies. Another important aspect of the positive impacts of SD revealed that Gen Z were more connected to the elements that they could perceive in daily life, such as poverty, water and waste services, clean and affordable energy, and environmentally friendly actions. This knowledge can be gained through experience or learning, and will be instrumental in popularising SDG actions among Gen Zers. For them, using recycled materials in everyday life, conservation of terrestrial and marine ecosystems and biodiversity, inclusive growth, decent work for all, and reducing inequalities within and between countries were comparatively less important as positive impacts of SD. Thus, introducing SD in everyday life through educational institutes, workplaces or community activities such as festivals can help in presenting their relevance to Gen Zers. Furthermore, the positive impacts already identified by Gen Z can be further strengthened and used when introducing the interlinked nature of SDGs. For example, poverty without reduced inequalities can lead to segregation and conflict in society, and reduced ecosystem services from core natural areas can lead to the deterioration of the environment in urban areas. Interestingly, the respondents came to the same conclusion when tackling the negative impacts of SDGs. Conflict in society was identified by the respondents as one of the negative aspects of SDGs. Thus, distance from or proximity to the SDG agenda can play an important role in the sustainable behaviour of Gen Z.

The identified negative aspects related to the economic and social impacts of SD were increases in the prices of foodstuffs, utilities, construction materials and fuel; social conflict and protests; rising social disparities; and stunted economic growth. In contrast, the respondents attached lower priority to reduced investments, probably due to economic hurdles and social inequalities; unethical treatment of animals and nature; and unethical means employed for socio-economic development. These were treated as far-off, hidden or indirect negative impacts. Thus, the increasing costs of commodities, social disparities and conflict, and disrupted economic growth could be considered the most emerging challenges relevant to Polish society, as identified by Gen Z. In a study of Freiburg, Germany, and Calgary, Canada, the authors reported that, due to sustainability policies in these cities, their environmental impact decreased through reduced per capita greenhouse gas emissions and sustainable housing, which resulted in healthy lifestyles and environmentally friendly services (Lim et al. 2018). However, it also led to an increase in the cost of living, rent, and services, resulting in the movement of people to the outskirts to seek cheaper accommodations and, thus, higher GHG emissions due to increased commuting.

The highest number of indications of waste segregation and reuse indicated the high potential this cohort has for creating integrated waste management and implementing circular economy principles. Waste management and recovery of raw materials formed an important part of the EU Green Deal, as well as of the Polish national policy. This sector was recognised as one of the most critical industries for economic growth (Smol et al. 2021). Waste segregation is one of the most common activities that individuals and institutions undertake in Poland (Rozmiarek et al. 2022). The results showed a 10.11% response to “I reduce my utility consumption” and a 14.1% response to “I consciously choose my everyday products”. Increased awareness about waste management and its impact on the environment may also lead to lower consumption and the avoidance of products that create waste – for example, a shift from plastic bottled water to tap water consumption. Furthermore, waste segregation practice has a direct impact on creating a circular economy, the growth of new industries, and employment, and contributes to achieving SDGs (Smol et al. 2021). Additionally, two other factors, namely institutional collaborations and long-term support, have been identified as the biggest challenges in waste management (Lewandowska & Szymańska 2019). The role of Gen Z in creating greater environmental awareness, and of institutions that participate in the circular economy, will be crucial. The results indicated the promising impact of the current policy in that direction.

Generation Z was born at a time when the impact of climate change began to be widely discussed. Climate change is a megatrend in society, identified by the UN, which can lead to increased inequalities (United Nations 2020). The climate awareness of the younger generation, and not only of Poles, is definitely increasing, which is also reflected in the results of the survey. The vast majority of respondents indicate that the application of sustainable development principles should have a positive impact on climate change and the climate catastrophe. University students are the largest group to recognise the positive impact of sustainability on climate (61%), while the largest proportion of Generation Z to not see such an influence can be found studying at a vocational school. This dichotomous finding shows how the nature of education determines views on sustainable development. Education and innovation were identified “key leverage points” by Lim et al. (2018) for the effective implementation of SDGs in society. The strategies to strengthen SDGs will depend on societal needs in a geographical context. The results of this study exposed the role of Gen Z towards the realisation of SDGs through general knowledge, everyday life and education in Polish society. Apart from a high willingness in Gen Z to participate in learning activities about SDGs, the results highlighted the need for focusing on outdoor events, extracurricular activities and workshops. This could be incorporated in policies for SDG education. The implications of the study are important for the global community, too, as they can help other countries create similar SDG education curricula. The most important implication was the practice of including non-formal activities in Polish universities, in addition to classroom study (Sady et al. 2019; Lewandowska et al. 2022). The survey results conclusively proved that non-formal strategies are one of the most effective for educating Gen Z.