Millennials in China and India share the concerns of their peers around the world regarding climate change and expect brands to lead the way in tackling the issue.
According to MSLGroup’s latest people insights report, A Chance for Change, several brands have already take this on board as they see active sustainability initiatives as vital to attracting and retaining the best talent.
The agency surveyed 250 18-30 year-olds from several countries, including the US, UK, Denmark, Poland Canada. Of those, 90 were millennials based in India and China.
However, while those surveyed in both China and India expect businesses to collaborate with governments to tackle sustainability issues, they differ on where the process begins.
Millennials in India, said the survey, believe the change must begin with individuals, while those in China said it is the government that has to kick things off.
In India, MSLGroup said, millennials are driven by fear of the state of the planet and what it is doing to their country, with severe monsoons and droughts drastically affecting industries such as agriculture, worth US$370 billion.
For China millennials, the main driver is tackling the country’s pollution issues in the big cities through meaningful action. As they make up 415 million consumers, brands and businesses are striving to meet their expectations.
"Considering the fact that millennials in both China and India have seen first hand the impact of human activity on their local environments, it is no surprise that they feel worried, anxious and sad about climate change," said Schubert Fernandes, MSLGroup’s Asia practice leader for corporate & brand citizenship.
"Millennials sense an urgent need to address the global issue, where Chinese and Indian businesses should seize the opportunity, engage concerned millennials and involve them as active agents of change to make the difference that is desperately needed."