Marketeers understand the importance of Gen Z (born 1997-2013) as the consumers of tomorrow, so in our recent ‘Gen Z- Connected Lives’ study, we set out to get to know this generation a little better, and in particular their relationship to sustainability. Do Gen Z really care?
Our Gen Z participants use the term ‘sustainability’ to include a broad variety of issues that start ‘green’ topics but go far further. For them sustainability encompasses social ethics, health and wellness, longevity of goods and energy usage as well as environmental matters.
As we explored sustainability with our Gen Z participants, their most heartfelt reactions were prompted by the human & social aspects of sustainability.
One hot topic that surfaced in our conversations with our Gen Z research participants was the increasing pressure on their ‘socials’ to boycott specific brands.
Looking for Gen Z? Head to the gym! In this blog we explore Gen Z’s obsession with health and wellness - more so than any generation before - and how this links to sustainability. Going to the gym, making healthier food and drink choices, looking after mental health, were just some of the health & wellness priorities our participants talked about.
Gender matters even more with Gen Z, who are the most divided on gender equality vs other generations, according to a recent global study from King’s College (2025).
Gen Z is a generation that cares – about the planet, about ethics, and about the impact of their choices – but not all product categories are equal in their eyes. A key consideration when seeking to connect with Gen Z is understanding their specific outlook & behaviour on sustainable issues in your category.
We asked our research participants if they believed that too much responsibility is placed on Gen Z to fix the climate crisis. Did they believe that older generations did the damage and should be the ones to fix it?
Looking ahead, these factors are likely to shape Gen Z's sustainability engagement......
