Girls more anxious about climate change than boys, says UCL research

A study by UCL has claimed that girls are expected to be more worried about climate change than boys.

Study in UK: According to a study led by UCL, researchers have found many interesting facts about who is likely to be more affected or concerned about climate change.

They found that children of affluent families are more concerned about climate change issues rather than their peers from lower socioeconomic groups. Also, girls are more concerned than boys.

Professor Nicola Walshe (IOE, UCL’s Faculty of Education & Society), Executive Director of UCL Centre for Climate Change and Sustainability Education, said, “There is very little in-depth understanding of students’ perspectives of, and aspirations for climate change and sustainability education. These results form an incredibly important evidence base that we can use to better support schools and teachers.”

More details of the report

UCL Centre for Climate Change and Sustainability Education published this report where scientists studied the views of students in English schools and tried to understand their perceptions. While replying to how they feel about this topic, 36% of students replied they worry ‘all the time’ or ‘a lot’ about climate change, 50% said they worry ‘a little’. More girls were worried than boys, around 44% of girls were worried and only 27% boys were worried. Overall, 53% of students said that they are 'anxious' about how the climate is changing.

“Three quarters of the girls surveyed wanted to learn about how climate change impacts human health and wellbeing, compared to 60% of boys,” explained Professor Nicola Walshe.

"We know climate anxiety is higher among girls, so a more holistic climate change education that addresses a broader range of areas, including health and wellbeing, may help mitigate young people’s worries," said Professor Nicola Walshe.

Key Recommendations by UCL Report

There are five key recommendations for education practitioners and policymakers, these include:

• The green careers provision should be developed
• Students should be more engaged in schools about the climate change topic.
• All schools must teach climate change and sustainability education
• Students anger, hopelessness and anxiety should be addressed explicitly
• Outdoor learning opportunities should be extended across the curriculum.

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