Outdoor-loving and sustainable to the core? Or jaded, stressed-out digitals who’ve given up on the future? Suston sifts through the conflicting narratives to take a more nuanced look at the generation that’s coming of age – and storming onto the world stage.

Let’s begin with the hype: What exactly has gotten the marketeers so excited about Generation Z? Well, its size for starters. Those born between 1997-2012 (currently aged 15-25) are said to represent an absolutely mind-boggling demographic of emerging consumers and labor. And indeed, this checks out: Clocking in at around 2 billion individuals, Generation Z is the largest generational cohort in human history. By 2030, Gen-Z is projected to make up 40% of all individuals of working age globally, becoming the single largest consumer segment with a spending power of 33 trillion USD – more than a quarter of global income (Statista).

Next, there’s the growing Gen-Z enthusiasm within outdoor industry circles. Because whereas it was hard work trying to convince the preceding X & Y generations that outside was actually a place worth being, Gen-Z is believed to be there already.

Here too, available statistics do seem to support the rumors, with Statista again finding that Gen-Z tops the other generational segments when it comes to participation in outdoor activities, even slightly trumping the former champions, Millennials.

The Myth

Finally, even the often-grim-faced sustainability professionals are finding something to smile about: The word on the street is that Gen-Z’ers are sustainability-savvy. They did, after all, grow up bombarded with existential “climate crises” alarm bells ringing. They also had fellow Gen-Z’ers like Greta Thunberg to show that they didn’t need to settle for the eco-paralysis that seemed to be afflicting their elders. Again, one needn’t look far to find studies that support this assertion: One report by the market research agency Kadence finds that 8/10 Gen-Z’ers list “sustainability” as an intrinsic part of their identity and nearly as many say that they’re willing to pay more for products that are more sustainably produced.

All in all, we are looking at an utterly massive market segment, which already loves the outdoors, and whose very self-identities depend upon them making sustainable choices. One can see how this would be enough to make anyone involved in sustainability and the outdoors (aka you, Suston’s readers) get a tad enthused.

But doesn’t this sound just a little too good to be true?

The Reality…

Maybe it is. With just a little digging, the need for a few fairly obvious caveats to the above Gen-Z stereotype quickly becomes clear. Importantly, the overwhelming majority of Gen-Z is to be found in Africa and Asia. Thus, it’s important to remember that while researchers and journalists may love citing the 2 billion figure, the survey sample is likely to come from the US and the EU where only one-tenth of these Gen-Z’ers call home. Similarly, vague claims of Gen-Z’s “outdoorsiness” may not always be what the outdoor industry has in mind. A May 2023 study by Generation Z market research specialists Ypulse finds that the top outdoor activities can be summed up as, to quote Ken from the film Barbie, “Beach.”

With its size and outdoorsiness in question, what then can be said of Gen-Z = Sustainability?

“This aspiration towards sustainability seems to hold true of Gen-Z across the EU and the US,” shares Fredrik Ekström, a brand strategist and business advisor who helps companies understand the emerging Gen-Z consumer.

“But for brands operating in this space, it’s essential to understand that there’s no one-sizefits-all approach to attracting Gen-Z consumers through sustainability offerings. While 8 of 10 of them may identify with sustainability, their interpretations of sustainability vary significantly.”

He continues to explain that a diversity of motivators can affect these interpretations. They could, for example, be driven by values (what he calls “Dedicated Pioneers”), results (“Anxious Activists”), or storytelling (“Eco-Swingers”). And regardless of what the motivation, the resulting behavior might not always be what we’d expect: “It’s crucial to note that their sustainability self-identification doesn’t always translate into action,” says Fredrik Ekström, “these kinds of behavioral shifts take time.”

Gen-Z counterintelligence

A different picture thus begins to take shape, whereby this notion of Gen-Z’s “sustainability-first” identity might be a tad unrealized – if not outright overstated. A Foresight Factory Trends for 2023 report, for example, found that 51% of Gen-Z respondents essentially expressed that they are occupied with trying to have as much fun as they can now and let the future take care of itself. How can both this and the “sustainability-first” hypothesis be true at the same time?

Fredrik Ekström may have an explanation.

“Our ‘The NXT Sustainable Consumer Report 2023’ found that a staggering 9 out of 10 Gen-Z individuals feel that their individual efforts towards sustainability disappear into a metaphorical black hole, doing neither good nor bad, which creates a sense of helplessness,” shares Fredrik Ekström before continuing:

“Additionally, 6 out of 10 Gen-Z individuals fear being judged negatively if they make incorrect choices. This dilemma results in a ‘Paralysis Paradox’ — they want to do good, are inspired and attracted to those who do, yet they feel uncertain about how to proceed.”

In other words, there appears to be a strong desire to act sustainably, but efforts to satisfy this desire are frustrated by various outside factors.

“This fear of making the wrong choices and facing negative judgment could fuel a desire to rebel against the norm of caring and trigger an escapism sentiment of ‘Why can’t we just have fun?’”

A more nuanced perspective

So where does this leave us? For starters, Generation Z is not the homogeneous group of sustainable outdoor enthusiasts many might hope. And lumping 2 billion young people into one stereotypical cartoon will lead to misunderstanding – and disappointment – for those especially excited with Gen-Z’s hyped potential.

“It’s important to recognize that all consumers, including Gen-Z, are driven by emotional incentives, and their short-term actions of not caring does not necessarily contradict their long-term aspirations of doing good. For Gen-Z, these perspectives coexist,” shares Fredrik Ekström.

“They want to do good, gain knowledge, have fun, and experience new things all at once. Therefore, sustainability solutions that cater to these multifaceted desires, such as second-hand products, ghost-net jackets, circular stores, and fun collaborations are attractive and important. They all balance between amusement and education, while doing something good for the long-term.”

In the end, Generation Z might be just like the rest of us – conflicted. Acknowledging this could be the first step towards realizing their (and our) true sustainability potential.

 

Photos: Bergans of Norway