Don’t leave the tap running; switch off the lights when not in use; choose a bicycle instead of a car — these are common sustainability tips we’ve all heard. But for Gen Z, sustainability isn’t just advice, it’s survival. We’re the first generation growing up with a climate clock audibly ticking, and that urgency has shaped our identity. For us, sustainability is not just a school lesson or an Earth Day activity — it’s a lived reality, deeply rooted in our daily choices, conversations, and future goals. We’ve scrolled through Instagram posts about melting glaciers, read headlines about wildfires and climate change, and sat in classrooms wondering if our future will remain green.
To us, sustainability isn’t about saving the planet because the Earth will continue to exist with or without us. It’s about securing our place on this planet. It’s about protecting the air we breathe, the oceans we depend on, and the soil that grows our food.
We’ve inherited a world shaped by convenience more than conscience, yet our generation is willing to question the system and push for change. We’re the generation that shops sustainably by thrifting before throwing things away, that repurposes jars into plant pots, and that debates whether metal straws really make an impact. These may seem like daily choices, but to us they’re acts of rebellion against waste, overconsumption, and the myth that one person can’t make a difference.
For GenZ, sustainable living is not just about actions – its about mindset. It’s about pausing before making a choice, to notice the impact of our habits and to question the system we live in. We understand that real change isn’t something which happens in under a minute: it’s slow and steady and often invisible. It’s like planting a seed which you might never see grow but you know it still matters. We know that tomorrow isn’t handed to us, it’s built by what we do today; every choice we make, every conversation we start, every stand we take shape our tomorrow. We don’t need to be told the stakes are high; we’ve been living with them since the day we were born. We don’t want just a future, we’re determined to create a sustainable tomorrow worth living in.
Author: Swara Jamadade
Class 10, Student
Sustainability Glossary
- Greenwashing: The practice of making misleading or unsubstantiated claims about a product’s or company’s environmental benefits to appear more sustainable than they actually are.
- Circular Economy : An economic model that eliminates waste by keeping products, materials, and resources in use for as long as possible through reuse, repair, refurbishment, and recycling.
- Carbon Footprint: The total amount of greenhouse gas emissions (measured in carbon dioxide equivalent) produced directly or indirectly by an individual, organization, event, or product.
- Sustainable Consumption: The use of products and services that meet basic needs while minimizing environmental impact, resource use, and waste generation for current and future generations.
- Climate Change: Climate change is the long-term alteration of climate systems driven largely by human activities such as greenhouse gas emissions and land-use change. For businesses, it represents a systemic risk—through physical impacts like extreme weather and regulatory pressures.
