More than half (54 percent) of university students say they would be more engaged with their future workplace pension if it was invested in tackling climate change.
The survey of 2,037 university students was conducted by Now:Pensions and Debate Mate, a global social business, to understand their views on pensions and environmental sustainability.
Nearly half (49 percent) said the mantra of ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’ is the most effective climate action, while 81 percent believe addressing climate change is as important as, or more important than, building up their savings.
Students showed a preference for companies already having a positive environmental impact rather than seeing their pension invested in firms that need to improve.
The results confirm a demand for sustainability in both education and employment with almost all (97 percent) students supporting mandatory sustainability education in the UK curriculum. The vast majority (90 percent) told the survey that they take a company’s environmental and social responsibility record into accord when applying for jobs.
Keith Guthrie, head of sustainability at Now:Pension UK, said: “Through our partnership with Debate Mate, we aim to help students build a healthy relationship with money and understand how pension savings impact their future and the environment. It is a privilege to work with young people to shed light on the often-overlooked role pensions play in driving real-world impact.”
Margaret McCabe, Debate Mate’s Group CEO and Founder, said: “We know that the young people we work with care deeply about the environment, and they are the generation that will bring about change. The results represent the need to do more to communicate to young people how their money can tackle the problems of today.”
