SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY IS A CENTRAL THEME OF OUR TIME, BUT HOW IS IT PERCEIVED AND EXPERIENCED BY YOUNG PEOPLE? RESEARCH HAS TRIED TO ANSWER THIS QUESTION “YOUTH AND SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY”, PRESENTED IN ROME ON THE OCCASION OF THE INAUGURAL EVENT OF THE SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY WEEK. THE EVENT, STARTED ON 2 DECEMBER AND SCHEDULED UNTIL 6 DECEMBER 2024, AIMS TO CREATE A PLATFORM FOR COMPARISON AND ACTION TO REDEFINE THE PRIORITIES OF SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY, INVOLVING VISIONARY LEADERS, ORGANIZATIONS AND REPRESENTATIVES OF CIVIL SOCIETY
Why Social Sustainability week is important
Cristina CenciSenior Partner at Eikon Strategic Consulting Italy (benefit company specialized in strategic consultancy, narrative research and social sustainability) explained the meaning of this initiative: «Social Sustainability Week was created to build a community of thought and practice, to change the rules of the game using the factor “S” as a driving strategy”.
Eikon SC’s research involved a representative sample of young Italians between 16 and 34 years old, exploring their relationship with sustainability, both from a personal and professional point of view. The results reveal a generation that is aware and attentive, but also pragmatic and disillusioned, trapped between high ideals and everyday realities.
Generation 2030: conscious but contradictory sustainability
Today’s young people, destined to become the protagonists of 2030, demonstrate a good knowledge of issues related to sustainability. According to the research, 78% are aware of the 2030 Agenda, 64% have heard of social sustainability and 65% feel personally involved.
However, deep understanding of the concept appears limited: one in four young people cannot explain what social sustainability is, and almost 90% do not know the meaning of the acronym ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance).
What is meant by Environmental, Social, Governance
In concrete terms, ESG represents a set of criteria used to evaluate how sustainable and responsible an organization is. The environmental dimension (Environmental) refers to the impact of company activities on the environment, such as the management of natural resources, the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and the adoption of ecological practices.
The social aspect concerns the organization’s relationship with employees, communities and customers, addressing issues such as human rights, workplace safety and diversity.
Finally, governance focuses on transparency and corporate ethics, including internal management, prevention of corruption and compliance with regulations.
ESG, therefore, is not just an acronym, but a lens for measuring organizations’ commitment to contributing to a more equitable and sustainable future.
But let’s get back to the topic.
This dichotomy in young people’s choices is also reflected in everyday life. On the one hand, young people declare themselves attentive to respect for the environment and in favor of innovative choices, such as nuclear perceived by over 56% as a green solution. On the other hand, however, pragmatism prevails: 75% do not consider sustainability in their travel, favoring speed and convenience, and cost remains the main criterion in purchases, even to the detriment of the sustainability of the products.
Nutrition is an exception. Here young people prove to be more coherent: 76% refuse ready-made and delivery foods (prepared by restaurants or fast food outlets and delivered to their homes), underlining the importance of healthy and conscious choices. This attention could represent a starting point for orienting other habits towards greater sustainability.
Sustainability and work: balance and mistrust
The professional dimension plays a fundamental role in young people’s relationship with sustainability. The research highlights that 70% of under 34s consider psycho-physical well-being a priority and ask companies to promote a better balance between private and work life. However, the opinion on institutions and companies is often critical: 78% accuse institutions of not engaging in promoting youth employment, while 67% believe that companies neglect the well-being of employees.
Discrimination against working women, especially when they become mothers, is another recurring theme. 59% of young people believe that women are penalized professionally because of motherhood, although the efforts of some companies to support parenthood are appreciated.
The research highlights a generation that is not willing to compromise: young people demand stable contracts and transparency, rejecting internships and fixed-term contracts as inadequate solutions.
Paola AragnoVice President of Eikon Strategic Consulting Italia, commented as follows: “Young workers have clear ideas about what they want, but their trust in institutions and businesses remains limited.”
Between hopes and fears: the future of young Italians
The relationship with the future is one of the most complex aspects that emerged from the research. Only 37% of young people believe that the new generations have greater opportunities than their parents and an identical percentage say they are confident in the value of meritocracy. However, 22% feel overwhelmed by the difficulties, describing themselves as a tree bent by the wind. This symbolic image reflects a generation that, despite having resources and talents, struggles to remain steadfast in the face of challenges.
Among the main concerns stand out economic instability, the climate crisis and health. This last theme is particularly significant, considering the young age of the sample. On a personal level, more intimate fears related to family, loneliness and happiness emerge.
Social Sustainability Week: a turning point
The research opened a broad discussion during the inaugural event of Social Sustainability Week, which saw the participation of numerous experts and representatives from the academic, economic and institutional world. Enrico PozziCEO of Eikon Strategic Consulting Italia, explained the objective of the study: «We want to understand if and to what extent young people feel like protagonists of change through social sustainability. The data demonstrates strong involvement, but also many contradictions that need to be addressed.”
The week will continue with events and debates atLa Sapienza University of Romewhich will be attended by entrepreneurs, academics, influencers and professionals. Among the main themes, the need to build a new model of sustainability that puts people, their health and well-being at the centre.
A path towards authentic sustainability
The research “Young people and social sustainability” paints a complex picture of the 2030 generation, made up of aware but pragmatic young people, confident in their ideals but disillusioned with the institutions. If on the one hand the contradictions that have emerged reflect the difficulties of our time, on the other they offer valuable ideas for rethinking social sustainability strategies and involving young people in a more concrete way.
As underlined during the first day of the event, the future depends on the ability to listen to and value the new generations. Social Sustainability Week represents an important step in this direction, an opportunity to transform the debate into concrete actions and build a more just and sustainable world.