New study reveals threat to the environment: we say we care but leave it to others to take responsibility

The UK is divided about who holds responsibility for creating a greener world, according to a new report released today by Legal & General Investment Management (LGIM). LGIM is calling on individuals to take control and own their world through investing and positive action. 

The report, which forms part of LGIM’s ‘Own Your World’ campaign, reveals an impressive nine out of ten (92%) of the 18 to 55 year-olds surveyed said that minimising their impact on the environment is important, with 27% of under 35s saying it is very important.

However, opinion is split over who ‘owns' the issue: 31% say responsibility lies with individuals, 31% say the onus is on the government and 15% believe businesses should be responsible for leading the way. One in ten (11%) say they just don’t know.  

The view of environmental responsibility adjusts in a surprising way across the generations, with more under 25s holding the government responsible than those aged 45 to 55 (40% vs 29%). Those over 45 come out on top when it comes to taking individual action (38% vs 21%).

Research conducted by Opinium for Legal & General involving over 2,000 adults across the UK reveals that there is a lack of understanding about what can be done to reduce the strain on the environment. Of the young people surveyed, a fifth of those under 25 (21%) don’t know how to make a difference and over half (51%) felt they couldn’t afford to. Encouragingly, 18% believe that more environmental education at school would be extremely beneficial, highlighting a thirst for knowledge.