Almost two thirds of parents would like their kids to follow in the
footsteps of Greta Thunberg by becoming a passionate eco-warrior.
A survey of 2,000 mums and dads with kids aged 5-16 found 74 per cent
of their little ones are passionate about fighting climate change.
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And while they want to teach their children about the climate crisis,
55 per cent of parents admit they are often the ones learning from
their kids.
A fifth (19 per cent) feel their children know more about how to
reduce the family’s impact on the environment than they do.
More than half (51 per cent) have even been TOLD OFF by their children
for not doing something environmentally friendly or sustainable.
Leaving the lights on was the main reason, followed by accidentally
putting recycling in with the main waste, not switching the TV off,
leaving the tap running and wasting food.
Overall, 64 per cent would like their children to follow in the
footsteps of Greta Thunberg and be passionate about protecting the
environment.
The research was carried out by BT to launch The BT Big Sofa Summit to get the UK talking about the environment and demonstrate how small lifestyle
changes and smart tech can be used to help aid the fight against
climate change at home.
To launch the campaign, BT has teamed up with presenter, actress and
singer Kimberley Walsh as well as Diversity duo Jordan Banjo and Perri
Kiely, who have held their own summits to talk about what they can do
to be greener at home, from saving energy through shorter showers to
installing LED smart lighting.
Kimberley Walsh said: “Every time you turn on the news, there’s always
a story about the doom and gloom of climate change so it can be very
easy to get overwhelmed by it all.
“The findings show that we are in good hands with the next generation
when it comes to helping fight climate change at home – they’re even
telling their parents off for not doing enough.”
“The BT Big Sofa Summit is a simple, positive way of figuring out the
small steps you can take as a family to make your home greener.
“My kids absolutely loved it: they want us to install a smart
thermostat so that they can turn the heating down when I have it too
high.”
The study also found that while politicians, world leaders and key
influencers might be the most vocal about climate change, they are not
necessarily the people kids are looking towards for inspiration,
according to parents.
Teachers act as the main driving force behind children caring about
the environment and promoting sustainability.
And the world’s two best known environmentalists, David Attenborough
and Greta Thunberg, are far more likely to inspire children than
politicians.
It also emerged that 77 per cent of parents with smart meters said
their kids enjoy looking at them to see how much energy is being used.
And 36 per cent have smart technology in the home that their children
use to minimise the impact on the environment.
Overall, 65 per cent of parents think they’re doing enough at home to
fight climate change.
It was a great experience for my kids. They want me to get a smart thermostat so they can lower the heat if it is too hot.
Kimberly Walsh.
But their children are also acting as influencers around the house,
encouraging their parents to buy products that are clever and
eco-friendly.
A quarter (28 per cent) of parents have had an electric car suggested
to them by their kids, while 29 per cent have been told about energy
efficient smart gadgets such as smart thermostats and smart radiator
valves.
It’s not just gadgets though – with 31 per cent of parents polled via
OnePoll encouraged to buy reusable drinks cups and 29 per cent told to
buy multi-use straws.
Andy Wales, chief digital impact and sustainability officer at BT
Group, said: “Tackling climate change is one of the world’s biggest
challenges right now, so it’s encouraging to see how important the
environment is to young people across the UK.
“Parents are doing their bit to educate their children, but they’re
also learning from their kids at the same time, which is great.
“We want to use our reach and expertise through the Big Sofa Summit to
spark a conversation about climate change and inspire everyone to make
small sustainable steps, embracing technologies available to help them
become greener at home.”
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