BERLIN, April 1, 2008 (Xinhua). The Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection, (BMUV) stated Friday that the top concerns of young Germans are climate and environment protection.
A survey of over 1,000 young Germans between 14 and 22 years old, conducted by BMUV/the German Environment Agency (UBA), revealed that 85 per cent ranked these issues among their top four priorities.
While three quarters of respondents were optimistic about their future in 20 years, less than 90 percent felt sad about the environmental damage caused by humans.
Minister for Environment, Nature Conservation and Consumer Protection, Steffi Lemme, stated, “Young people are optimistic regarding their personal futures, but deeply concerned over the future of our planet.”
She said that politics must be aware of the long-term implications of crises and find solutions.
The study revealed that three quarters of young Germans fear the climate crisis’ consequences. Meanwhile, 81 percent of them called for policymakers and other decision-makers to pay more attention to their concerns regarding climate issues.
Dirk Messner, President of the German Environment Agency (UBA), stated that the next five years to 2030 are crucial for setting the course toward sustainability and climate neutrality.
For 88 per cent of young Germans, the quality of education, healthcare systems, as well as social justice were very important. Enditem
