The International Center for Research and Studies on Childhood at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (CIESPI at PUC-Rio) is launching a study which examines issues of climate change and its impacts on young people in particular what they know, think, feel, and do about the topic.The study was coordinated by professor Irene Rizzini of the Department of Social Service at PUC-Rio and director of CIESPI. The staff of the study were Renata Mena Brasil do Couto, Maria Cristina Bó, Malcolm Bush, Carolina Terra e Mariana Menezes Neumann.
The study was supported by the José Luiz Setúbal Foundation, and the Nova Institute for Health of People, Places and Planet and was conducted in partnership with Cidade Escola Aprendiz who will continue to work on the initiative with CIESPI/PUC-Rio.
The study
Recognizing that young people have historically been ignored in the climate debate including in Brazil, the study included interviews with 200 participants between the ages 12 and 18 who were students in both public and private schools and who came from each of the five regions of the country.
Ninety-nine and half percent of the respondents had heard of the issue with 82.5% saying they had learned about the topic at school. Ninety-two and a half percent of the respondents expressed concern about climate change, principally in thinking about their futures and the impacts on future generations. More than 80% spoke about feelings of anxiety, fear or insecurity on the topic, and the majority said that the communities they lived in had already suffered effects from climate change.
Despite these concerns, the study demonstrated the young people’s limited knowledge of the topic and they had trouble elaborating consistent responses about causes, consequences, and solutions.
As for action, 72% said that had adopted individual practices to help such as the proper disposal of trash and economizing on the use of water. Many said they would also like to engage in collective action but did not know how to begin or whom to contact.
The importance of the study
The data reveal young people´s attention, concern, and disposition to act but that they had limited information and little way to act collectively. These facts show the urgency of strengthening their knowledge of climate change using accessible methods and materials which speak to their realities.
Over and above informing them, it is necessary to widen their horizons and open pathways for their future individual and collective actions in reducing the impacts of climate change.
As a result of the study, CIESPI reaffirms its commitment to developing and disseminating strategies to engage children and young people in this issue, respecting their perspectives and their right to social participation.
To access the study, click here..