As Gen Z demands sustainability, their shopping carts tell a different story
Gen Z cares about sustainability more than anyone else – and is starting to make others feel the same.
This 2022 headline from a World Economic Forum study seemed like change was finally around the corner. Run any poll, read any report and this is the generation that cares the most about our planet, and is certainly the most vocal about it.
Perhaps it is the survival of the fittest, but the young have always been good at picking up signals. Perhaps they smelled our fear, sensed from the virtue-signalling by opinion leaders, brands and media that pro-environment is the way to be.
With the dubious honour of being a digitally native generation, they have also had a surfeit of influences – starting with Baby shark, doo, doo, and going all the way up to Greta Thunberg.
Whatever the reason, surely they have arrived at the right conclusion.
They can argue till you are blue in the face that crazy consumerism, over-industrialisation and resource depletion by Gen X and Millenials are to blame for the extreme weather conditions. It is your fault that Valley of Flowers is now inaccessible and the rivers are dying. God forbid, you buy a plastic pot for your geraniums!
The levels of fear and outrage about the impacts of climate change experienced by Gen Z is far greater compared to previous generations. However, one look at their shopping carts, and you’ll know that their intention and anxiety is not translating into meaningful revenue dollars for sustainable brands.
The Say-Do Gap Every new t-shirt brand with a snarky line has a customer, and isn’t being a sneaker-head the new way to be cool these days? From the playground to teen birthday parties, consumerism is at an all-time high.
It is not rocket-science that the teenage years are some of the trickiest to navigate – I want to be different but I want to fit in, am I going to be cool enough – and social media has added to the complexities.
Interestingly, a study of British adolescents shows the impact of consumerism on teenagers is greater for those from lower income families.
Peer-pressure or a genuine intention-action gap? The evidence reveals a nuanced picture: Manuel Escourido-Calvo et al., 2025 found that Gen Z continues to prefer fast fashion primarily due to affordability and trend accessibility, despite high environmental awareness. Other studies say that their purchasing decisions are not so simple, being heavily influenced by brand experience, image, and digital engagement.
“…the gap between generations about climate change is mainly in their emotional responses to climate change, rather than in beliefs about climate change. For example, there are no generational differences in beliefs in the causes and impacts of climate change…
If they have not understood the impact of that cold-coffee they just had delivered or that throw-away headphones then what is really going to change?
More than one Gen-Z
Let us not make the mistake of clumping the entire generation together. There is another Gen-Z-er: the oldest being 28 in 2025. This Gen-Z has probably been working for the past 5-6 years, is hyper-aware of global trends and exercises their own choices with their money. The results for sustainability are, however, no different.
There are days when quick-commerce rings the door-bell more than twice, and it takes barely a few minutes to swipe a card for that elusive, perfect nude lipstick. Yes, when asked, they are absolutely pro-environment, but are they really changing day-to-day behaviors What we see is a generation that is extremely vocal about climate and sustainability, but still clicks ‘Buy Now’ on ultra-fast delivery.
More to it than meets the eye
There’s no denying that just their participation in environmental events, creating riveting content about thrift stores, and lending their voice to the cause has enormous value of its own. Just the fact that they care means that, other conditions willing, there is significant potential to adopt sustainable behaviours.
Perhaps we are being too harsh, and need to understand the pressures on them better. Are lower order motivations forcing climate change and sustainability out of the list of worries for the older Gen Z? Amid unemployment, the sudden rise of AI, increasing competition and other financial strains, their share-of-mind and share-of-wallet are both under threat (snapshot below)
The NielsenIQ report says Gen Z will be the largest, wealthiest, and highest-spending generation in history. By 2030, their total spending will reach $12.6 trillion or 18.7% of global spend.
They have high-environmental awareness, they have the willingness to contemplate sustainable actions, they have high digital literacy, and they will have spending power.
Where they spend their money is now the problem that needs to be solved. Not just for brands, but for the future of sustainability.
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