A recent YouGov study has found that millennials in the GCC are increasingly concerned about the effects of global warming on the climate and its damaging impact in the future.
YouGov invited millennials aged from 18 to 29 residing in the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia to voice their opinions on climate change. The aim was to understand how they perceive the connection between the climate and the job market, and to identify their expectations regarding the stakeholders who are shaping today’s world, which they will inherit tomorrow.
Global warming is seen as a problem by almost all respondents (92%), who also think that the environment is under a bigger threat today than 20 years ago (92%). Even with the majority of respondents sharing the opinion that global warming is an important issue and 64% believing a solution can be found, fighting against global warming is not the first future priority for many with just 6% considering it a top priority and only 20% regarding the fight against global warming as one of their top three priorities for the future.
“It is encouraging to see that nine out 10 millennials in the GCC are concerned about the environment and they remain cautiously optimistic that solutions could still be found to counter the issues,” Kailash Nagdev, Managing Director, YouGov, commented. “The young are leading the way by making cautious choices in terms of career paths and companies they work for, that could help them work on some of these solutions.”
Seventy seven percent of the respondents believes that a commitment to green growth and the implementation of measures to reduce greenhouse gases will improve the economic and job situations in the GCC, with most agreeing that it is possible to combine material progress and environmental protection (81%).
More than half of the respondents (52%) believe that their education has prepared them sufficiently to face tomorrow’s challenges, particularly challenges concerning global warming. Eight in 10 believe that global warming will change the nature of existing jobs (new skills, new partnerships etc) and 64% believe that global warming will destroy existing jobs.
Fifty six percent of respondents indicated that contributing to the fight against global warming is one of their career goals and a factor in their choice of job or profession. Wage / level of income is the most important criteria when considering an employment opportunity for almost one quarter (24%). However, the employer’s commitment to the protection of the environment and fight against global warming is the most important criteria for only 7% of the respondents.
When it comes to who exactly young people of the GCC trust to help solve the global warming problem, 87% trust scientists and experts, 82% trust schools and universities, 77% trust NGOs and charitable / humanitarian organisations and 74% trust their government to protect the environment. Conversely, only 50% of respondents trust the businesses to help in protecting the environment.
“The above findings, combined with lack of trust in the companies, signal that organisations willing to genuinely care about the environment would be the brand of choice for employment and purchasing decisions for the millennial work force,” added Nagdev.
The survey was conducted online by YouGov using their specialist Omnibus research service. In total, 1,294 people living in the GCC region, aged between 18 and 29, took part in an online survey during 25-31 October, 2016.
