Tuesday 26 October 2021

More than 80% of children want to take action to help the environment

More than 80% of kids want to do more to help the environment.

That’s according to a new survey published by Nature England, that asked children aged 8-15 what their outlook on the environment was like.

More than 8 in 10 of the children said they wanted to do more to look after the environment and 46% stressed that adults are not doing enough.

The survey also looked at how often kids were able to go outdoors, with a correlation found between less time spent outdoors and less care for the environment in those children. Around 86% of white children said that nature made them very happy, with only 75% of black children sharing the same opinion.

Younger children and those brought up on higher household incomes were the most likely to be concerned about the future of the environment.

Marian Spain, Chief Executive of Nature England, commented: “The message is clear - children and young people care deeply about the natural environment and are eager to act.

“With COP26 just around the corner, we must seize on this as an opportunity to make lasting change in what will be a crucial year for the environment. The research also shows that not all children have the same opportunities to enjoy nature.

“We need to heed the call of future generations and ensure that children and young people, wherever they live and whatever their background, can access good quality green spaces close to home – and reap the benefits to health, wellbeing and quality of life that being in nature brings to us all.”