Educating Tweens: The Importance of Green Skills

2024 sees a new direction of sustainability, one that side-lines forceful commands and false promises in favour of inspirational change, accessible solutions and eco-joy. The need for change sees teens and tweens take action into their own hands and seek out the green skills needed to make a difference. 

Gen Alpha and Gen Z are growing up surrounded by polycrisis, yet the climate emergency is firmly established as the most defining challenge of their lifetime. We’re witnessing an upsurge in levels of eco-anxiety and growing youth frustration with governments and corporations not being held accountable for their contribution to climate change. As a result, organisations are recognising the importance of developing green skills as part of young people’s education, encouraging the growing interest in climate information, and recognising the environmental behavioural shifts needed to prepare for their increasingly uncertain future.  

According to a YouGov poll commissioned by IEMA, 56% of the British public had not heard of green jobs, with 62% not understanding what the term ‘green skills’ meant, and 65% said they didn’t have any access to green skills training. 

Who are the change makers making climate activism accessible to tweens and teens? 

Here we explore the growing number of influencers and organisations, focused on promoting green skills amongst young people, amplifying underrepresented groups and making revolutionary change feel more relatable. 

Environmental Teen Influencers 

Youth are at the heart of this environmental movement with 7 in 10 wanting to be actively engaged in the ‘green transition’, shifting towards an environmentally sustainable and climate-friendly world. (United Nations).  

With Greta Thunberg driving climate change awareness since 2018 many teen climate activists have emerged in recent years. We’ve seen Gen Alpha and Gen Z evolve the conversation around environmental issues with influencers like @genesisbutler_ and @mikaelaloach championing the intersection of climate and race. 

Future Learning Landscapes  

The importance of green skills is fast becoming recognised by educational boards internationally. Evidenced with the introduction of the new Natural History GCSE in the UK by 2025 and educational projects like Green Schools Green Future in Canada, who believe that to create a green and sustainable future, we must first start by focusing on education. The green transition will result in the creation of 8.4 million jobs for young people by 2030. 

Be the brand that restores hope for a greener future in 2024 and beyond. 

By aligning joyful, colourful and contemporary design with circular models and human-centric sustainable solutions within product ranges, brands will attract youth interest and support the growing need for green skills, helping to encourage behavioural shifts towards a more sustainable existence. 

Partnering with micro-communities, young influential leaders and diverse climate heroes will ensure your sustainable messages are inclusive and relatable. Brands that practice transparency by continuously evaluating their sustainable journey and how best to positively impact the earth, rather than aim for climate neutrality, will resonate with the youth market who will refuse to settle for good, but be constantly striving for great when it comes to climate change. 

Have you considered the impact of green skills in your brand strategy?  

Our consultancy team are specialists in supporting brands to lean into future mindsets. We understand evolving consumer groups, how to align product ranges to meet their needs, as well as feeding design teams with the latest innovation in materials, colour and finish to appeal to the style-savvy planet guardians of the future. Get in touch to find out how we can support your business.