Authors

• Finnish Youth Research Society
• Ministry of Education and Culture. State Youth Council

Keywords

attitudes, climate change, environmental awareness, environmental changes, sustainability, values, youth

Abstract

In the 2021 Youth Barometer, the main themes are environmental and climate issues. The survey explores young people's values, climate-related behavior, and perceptions of environmental issues in Finland.

At the beginning, young people's societal and ideological views were examined through various dimensions. Lifestyles and civic engagement were addressed by asking respondents for their opinions on various statements related to climate and the economy, and how much things such as voting, consumer choices, and activism can influence environmental matters. Respondents also described their own environmental behavior by reporting what kinds of actions they had taken in the past six months.

Respondents were asked where they had obtained information about environmental issues. Finally, the survey explored young people's views on a sustainable future, and how optimistically or pessimistically they perceive the future.

Background variables in the dataset include the respondent's gender, age, mother tongue, region of residence, belonging to a minority group, economic activity and occupational status, education level, household income, and the education level of the mother or another parent.