Majority of young people in the UK feel their views are not well listened to by the G7 – despite having to live through leaders’ decisions in future
03 June 2021, United Kingdom
Majority of young people in the UK feel their views are not well listened to by the G7 – despite having to live through leaders’ decisions in future
● New report finds almost two thirds (64%) of young people don’t feel the G7 listen to their views well
● U.K.’s G7 Sherpa says Y7 has “done a brilliant job of making sure the voice of young people from all G7 countries is heard” this year
● The 2021 UK Youth Perspectives report outlines key priorities of young people– informing the policy recommendations being put forward at the G7 Summit in June
● Report reveals young people’s views on key areas of society: economy & work, the digital world, healthcare and the climate
With the UK hosting the annual G7 Summit of world leaders next month, a new report reveals the majority of young people do not feel their views are listened to by the G7. The 2021 UK Youth Perspectives report, by the Future Leaders Network in partnership with Opinium, highlights the key concerns of young people in the UK and the actions they want world leaders to take to build a better and brighter future for upcoming generations.
Despite younger generations having to live through the decisions made by the G7, the report finds that 64% of those aged 14 to 30 do not feel properly listened to by the G7, with 44% feeling their views are only listened to ‘a little’ and 19% feeling they are not listened to at all. Only 14% think the G7 listens to their views ‘a lot.’
The younger a person is, the less likely they are to feel the G7 listens to their views. Less than half (48%) of people aged 14 to 17 feel the G7 listens to their views either a little, or a lot, compared to 60% of those aged 26 to 30.
Men are significantly more likely than women to feel their views are listened to a lot (18% vs. 8%), as are those in urban areas compared to those in coastal, suburban, and rural areas (18% vs. 10% vs. 10%). There are also differences by education level, with non-graduates, particularly those with no formal qualifications, being less likely than graduates to feel that their voices are heard (12% vs. 17%).
UK G7 Sherpa Jonathan Black, said:
“It’s been great to have the chance to engage with the Y7 over the past few months who have done a brilliant job of making sure the voice of young people from all G7 countries is heard as we prepare for the leaders Summit at Carbis Bay next week.”
The Y7’s policy recommendations
These findings have informed the work of the U.K.’s Y7 delegates - young leaders from the U.K. who, over several months, have been working with their counterparts across the G7, to develop policy recommendations on behalf of youth, which will be presented to world leaders at their Summit in June. The recommendations, which were announced at the Y7 Summit on 14 -15 May, call on leaders to better involve young people in decision making, and to actively consider the long-term implications of decisions made today on the young people of tomorrow. They include recommendations for G7 leaders to protect and support future generations by:
● Establishing a Youth Council for the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) comprised of youth delegate(s) representing each member country and acting as the youth voice on AI;
● Promoting social mobility and addressing rising child poverty across the G7 by increasing expenditure for universal quality education, and considering unconditional basic income for young people and families with children
● Including youth directly in designing, delivering, promoting and evaluating mental health services intended for them by valuing their expertise and lived experience through databased processes, including disaggregated data analyses.
Priya Minhas, Research Manager at Opinium commented: “As the world recovers from the Coronavirus pandemic, it is important that young people’s views are embedded into global decision-making, to create a future that is representative, diverse and inclusive and which takes into account the needs of future generations. Capturing and acting upon the views of young people is vital to ensure decisions made at a national and international level have their best interests at heart too.”
Sophie Daud, Y7 2021 Chair and CEO of the Future Leaders Network added: “The decisions world leaders make today affect the world young people live in, learn in and inherit tomorrow. The young leaders who have participated in the Y7 have made their voices clear - they want to be better involved in decision making and governance. They want world leaders to shift from short-term firefighting and move towards tackling systemic, ongoing crises, such as mental health or climate change. I look forward to continuing to support our young leaders ahead of this year’s G7, to ensure their voices are heard.”
The 2021 UK Youth Perspectives report – detailed findings
Economy and work
The two most important areas for young people when it comes to the economy are: affordable and sustainable housing (45%) and tackling child poverty (43%).
Worries about debt, savings and future income (37%) are considered the biggest challenges young people face now and in the future in the working world. Strikingly, just 3% of young people don’t think there are any challenges to young people in the working world.
Thinking ahead to when the economy recovers from the Coronavirus pandemic and the changes they want, young people would most like to see more and better job opportunities (43%), followed by more flexible working arrangements (35%). Over a quarter (27%) would like to see more skills development opportunities in the workplace.
The digital world
Two fifths (39%) of young people say that online safety is their greatest digital concern, followed by concerns about data privacy (36%). Inaccurate information or ‘fake news’ being spread online (32%), and digital fatigue (22%) are the next biggest concerns. Just 4% of young people have no concerns about the online world.
On the topic of data privacy, over half (53%) of young people are slightly or very concerned about how their data is being processed or shared online. In contrast, just 17% are slightly or very unconcerned and 23% are neither concerned nor unconcerned.
Over two thirds (71%) of young people say they are equipped with the necessary digital skills and effective training to succeed in daily life (including economic transactions, workforce, learning and education).
The main issue faced by young people in accessing digital services is unstable internet access (25%), followed by sharing of devices with other household members (16%) and limited internet access (16%).
Healthcare
Over half (56%) of young people say mental health is the healthcare area they most want government to take action on, followed by pandemic preparedness (27%) and vaccine distribution and availability (26%).
On mental health, 52% do not think politicians and researchers are doing enough to understand the underlying cause of widespread mental health issues. Meanwhile, while half (50%) of young people feel informed about mental health, a significant minority do not feel informed (24%). Similarly, half (50%) know where to find support and 42% know how to access it easily. However, a quarter (24%) don’t know where to find support, whilst 30% don’t know how to access it.
Climate
A quarter (25%) of young people do not feel informed about climate change. However, young people do display a high level of concern around climate issues, with plastic pollution and deforestation having been identified as the areas of climate change or environment that require the most attention. Almost a third (31%) of young people say that plastic pollution requires the most attention, whilst 23% think deforestation is the biggest issue.
When it comes to positively impacting climate change or the environment, 44% believe individual behavioural changes (e.g. not using plastic straws) would be most effective, and 42% think making conscious consumer choices (e.g. using sustainable fashion) would have the biggest result. A third (33%) think seeking knowledge and sourcing information would be most powerful.
A quarter said the cost of, or lack of access to, sustainable and ethical products (27%), and financial products were a barrier (26%) to living a sustainable life. However, one in four (25%) think that insufficient climate education as a barrier.
-ENDS-
*Opinium Research carried out an online survey of 2,000 14-30 year olds in the UK from 1st to 16th March 2021. Results have been weighted to representative criteria. The Future Leaders Network also conducted focus groups
among young people aged 16-30 in March and April 2021.
The research was commissioned by The Future Leaders Network and led by Y7 and Y20 UK Delegates, and funded by the UK Cabinet Office.
Notes to Editors
WHAT ARE THE Y7 AND THE Y20?
The G7 (Group of 7) and the G20 (Group of 20, which includes the EU) are intergovernmental organisations consisting of many of the world’s most advanced economies. The groups’ joint activities culminate in a yearly week-long meeting of the Leaders of each group’s member nation, with the rotating Presidency being held by a different member state every year. In 2021, the United Kingdom holds the Presidency, and the G7 Summit will be hosted in Carbis Bay, Cornwall, UK.
Leading up to the G7 Summit, the nations draw on expertise from six engagement groups that help advise the Presidency, namely the Women 7, Youth 7 (the Y7), Business 7, Civil Society 7, Labour 7, and Science 7, with the G20 Summit following a similar process.
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About Opinium Research LLP
OPINIUM is an award-winning strategic insight agency built on the belief that in a world of uncertainty and complexity, success depends on the ability to stay on pulse of what people think, feel and do. Creative and inquisitive, we are passionate about empowering our clients to make the decisions that matter. We work with organisations to define and overcome strategic challenges – helping them to get to grips with the world in which their brands operate. We use the right approach and methodology to deliver robust insights, strategic counsel and targeted recommendations that generate change and positive outcomes.
Opinium were the most accurate research agency in the 2019 UK General Election, the 2016 London Mayoral Election and the EU Referendum.
Opinium – What People Think, Feel and Do. www.opinium.co.uk
About the Future Leaders Network
Future Leaders Network is a not-for-profit organisation aimed at discovering and developing the next generation of social, economic and political leaders in the United Kingdom. We are revolutionising the leadership development landscape, by equipping young people with the leadership experience, skills and network they need to deliver positive change in the world.
We make a difference today with the leaders of tomorrow.
Website: https://www.futureleaders.network