Young Adults & Climate Activism

The document analyzes a November 2019 survey of 1,303 U.S. adults to compare climate activism across generations. It finds that Millennials and younger adults (aged 18-38) are more likely than Generation X and Baby Boomers to support climate activists, engage in political action, and believe in collective efficacy. These trends are observed across political lines, with notable shifts among younger Republicans who are more likely than older Republicans to support climate activism and accept that climate change is human-caused.

• Millennials and younger adults (aged 18-38) demonstrate higher levels of support for and identification with climate activists urging government action compared to older generations. They are also more willing to volunteer, donate, and engage in non-violent civil disobedience, such as sit-ins or blockades, against entities that exacerbate global warming.
• The most significant generational gaps appear in voting and public activism. Specifically, 59% of adults aged 18-38 would vote for a candidate based on their position on global warming, whereas only 48% of Generation X and 46% of Baby Boomers or older adults would do the same.
• Younger generations possess a stronger sense of collective efficacy than older generations across the political spectrum, meaning they have more confidence that citizens working together can influence business and government decision-makers.
• Generational divides are particularly evident among Republicans. Younger Republicans are more likely than older Republicans to support climate activists, join campaigns to influence elected officials, share information on social media, and attend political rallies or protests.
• Data from the Democracy Fund’s Views of the Electorate Survey indicates that since 2011, younger Republicans have become more accepting of the fact that climate change is human-caused, while older Republicans have shown little to no change.

APA

Yale Program on Climate Change Communication (2020). Young Adults & Climate Activism. https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/publications/young-adults-climate-activism/

Chicago

Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. Young Adults & Climate Activism. 2020. https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/publications/young-adults-climate-activism/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Yale Program on Climate Change Communication |title=Young Adults & Climate Activism |date=28 April 2020 |url=https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/publications/young-adults-climate-activism/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{yaleprogramonclimatechangecommunication2020young, author = {{Yale Program on Climate Change Communication}}, title = {{Young Adults \& Climate Activism}}, institution = {Yale Program on Climate Change Communication}, year = {2020}, month = apr, url = {https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/publications/young-adults-climate-activism/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }