Only half of young people understand climate change: poll

ISLAMABAD: Most children and young people say they have heard of climate change but only half understand what is it, according to a new Unicef-Gallup poll, as world leaders have gathered for the COP28 in the UAE.

The global poll found that on average 85 per cent of young people aged 15-24 surveyed in 55 countries said they have heard of climate change, yet just 50pc of those chose the correct definition as per the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) when asked to select between “seasonal changes in weather that occur every year” and “more extreme weather events and a rise in average world temperatures resulting from human activity”.

A Unicef press release says 55 countries, including Pakistan, surveyed in Unicef-Gallup 2023 World Poll.

“Young people have been some of the biggest heroes in driving action to address the impact of climate change. They have been calling for climate action on the streets or in meeting rooms, and we need to do even more to ensure that all children and young people understand the crisis that hangs over their future,” said Unicef Executive Director Catherine Russell.

A global survey by Unicef in 2023 reveals that climate change awareness among youth is lowest in lower-middle- and low-income countries, such as Pakistan (19pc), Sierra Leone (26pc), and Bangladesh (37pc). The ‘Children’s Climate Risk Index’ indicates children in these nations face extremely high risks from climate change, impacting health, education, and safety.

The survey, a follow-up to the 2021 ‘Changing Childhood Project’, explores climate change, trust in information, and global political challenges.

Notably, 60pc of young people rely on social media for news, but only 23pc trust information on these platforms. Despite this, 27pc of youth see themselves as global citizens, fostering potential cross-border collaboration on climate and other global issues.