The Top 8 Ways to Engage Gen Z in Your Sustainability Initiatives

As the world faces growing environmental challenges, the youngest generation eligible for credit cards is stepping up to demand change. (Generation Alpha is still in school.) Generation Z, born between 1997 and 2012, is vocal about their concern for sustainability. Understanding how to attract the attention of these young professionals is a necessity for growing companies.

This doesn’t mean you have to use embarrassing language to try to relate. Save your low key discounts, no cap savings, and rizz to embarrass your children, not your business. But knowing where to find them and how to get their attention is essential to motivating this young group to act.

According to a Deloitte survey, 62% of Gen Zers report anxiety about climate change. Nearly half of Gen Z have already changed, or plan to change jobs due to environmental impact concerns and nearly two-thirds are willing to pay more for environmentally sustainable products.

This generation is not shy about holding companies accountable. They value transparency and are more likely to research a company’s environmental and social track record before making purchases or employment decisions.

Here are the top 8 ways to engage Gen Z in your sustainability initiatives.

1. Focus on social media and digital platforms

This might be obvious, but we’re saying it anyway. Gen Z and social media go together like Peruvians and pisco. They are the first generation of true digital natives, making social media a powerful tool to engage them in sustainability. Platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube are ideal for sharing impactful content.

There’s a reason that Gen Z is also known as the TikTok generation.

2. Share clear sustainability goals and progress

This goes for all generations, but it’s especially true for Gen Z. Be transparent about your sustainability goals and progress. Having that information available and accessible allows the most concerned consumers to see in detail your sustainability efforts, goals, achievements, and challenges.

Show transparency, acknowledge areas where your company can improve, and showcase the genuine sustainability efforts being made by your company. There is no successful sustainability initiative without transparency.

3. Let Gen Z be the decision makers

Is there any better way to understand how to engage Gen Z than by asking Gen Z directly?

Find out what’s important to them. Try out a co-creation initiative that allows customers to collaborate with your brand to develop sustainable products or practices. Host virtual events or hackathons focused on sustainability challenges. Let Gen Z be part of the solution.

4. Educate and empower

While governments hum and haw over how to tackle the climate crisis, educating consumers about the impacts of their purchases has been left to the private sector. Create educational content like blogs, webinars, or e-books on topics like sustainable living or the impact of climate change, and make sure to include how your business fits into the trajectory of building a better world.

Gen Z is enrolling in college at lower rates than prior generations. They’ll be looking to other sources to receive their education.

5. Align with social justice and community impact

Gen Z cares about social issues and expects companies to take a stand. Engage them by highlighting community impact projects that demonstrate how your sustainability efforts are helping local communities and partner with nonprofits or activist groups that work on issues of environment and social justice.

One key thing to remember here is to make sure you are committed to the cause and that it is relevant to your business. You don’t want to be accused of trying to ride a social cause in the hopes of windfall profits. Be sincere.

6. Offer sustainable products and services

You can’t just talk the talk; you have to back it up.

Gen Z prefers brands that have sustainable choices. Ensure your offerings reflect this by designing eco-friendly products with sustainable materials and minimal packaging. Provide clear labelling and information about the sustainability of your products, including sourcing, production, and disposal.

You can even offer incentives for sustainable actions, such as discounts for recycling, using reusable containers, or opting for carbon-neutral shipping.

7. Integrate game incentives

One fun way to approach sustainability and attract the attention of Gen Z is to make it like a game. Launch sustainability challenges where participants earn points or rewards for completing eco-friendly tasks, like bringing reusable bags or opting for digital receipts. Use apps or platforms that track sustainability progress and offer incentives for reaching milestones, like carbon reduction or waste minimization.

8. Highlight career opportunities in sustainability

Many Gen Zers want to work for companies that align with their values, as the Deloitte survey highlighted. Attract and retain them by making sure that sustainability is integrated into your core business strategy. Good employees are hard to find these days — make sure you are casting a large net by being a strong sustainability leader.

Get your sustainable messaging on-point

Businesses that embrace sustainability as a core value will find themselves in a strong position to earn the loyalty and trust of this generation. Being able to communicate with Gen Z is critical to attracting a loyal following.

We can help get your messaging just right to engage the most sustainability-concerned generation. Contact us now to build a winning sustainability messaging campaign.