Three in four Italians see sustainability as a value that not even the pandemic can erode. The results of LifeGate's seventh national observatory on sustainable lifestyles, accompanied by local editions covering Milan and Rome.
We are emerging from complex months, full of uncertainty. Italians have undoubtedly been put to the test by the pandemic, but that has not caused them to forget that a better future is possible, provided that citizens, businesses and institutions all pull together towards sustainability. This is the message that emerges from the Observatory on sustainable lifestyles conducted by LifeGate, in collaboration with the research institute Eumetra MR.
Launched in 2015, in the wake of Expo, the Observatory has now reached its seventh national edition, accompanied since 2017 by editions dedicated to major cities. This year the research was conducted on a sample of 921 individuals representative of the adult Italian population, with an oversample of 500 cases covering Milan and Rome. As before, it includes a focus on Generation Z, that is, young people under 24.
The survey was designed to answer some key questions: do citizens understand the concept of sustainability, in its various forms? Do they believe in change? And are they willing to do their part, reshaping their daily habits to make them more respectful of the planet? The data were presented on the morning of Wednesday 22 September at the Spazio Teatro No'hma Teresa Pomodoro in Milan and streamed live on LifeGate.it. The project is supported by Gruppo Unipol, Koelliker, Michelin Italia, Ricola and Vaillant Italia.
A passing trend? Far from it. Sustainability is a value, and it is here to stay. That is the conviction of 34.5 million Italians, or 69.5 per cent of the population, a figure that has grown by as many as seven percentage points compared to 2020. In the wake of Expo, only 42 per cent of Italians felt personally engaged with sustainability issues: that figure has now reached 75 per cent, or three in four. The major cities are perfectly in line with the national average, albeit with slightly different trends: Milan moves from 69 to 74 per cent in a single year, while Rome sees a slight dip from 81 to 79 per cent.
Sustainability is now part of the vocabulary of one in two Italians, above all thanks to expressions such as global warming and renewable energy, which are now familiar to seven in ten respondents. Attitudes also appear positive: 90 per cent of Italians call for a reduction in plastic consumption, 89 per cent for the production of sustainable goods or packaging, and 87 per cent for investment in clean energy.
But to what extent do these good intentions translate into concrete behaviours? Forty-three per cent of Italians say they limit their use of plastic bottles, 25 per cent say they get around using low-emission transport, and 45 per cent say they are willing to buy local and made-in-Italy products even at a higher cost. The health emergency has certainly left its mark, with 79 per cent of Observatory participants noting an increase in poverty. Yet this difficult experience has also been an opportunity to rediscover a sense of solidarity and responsibility: 84 per cent of citizens care about supporting the Italian economy through their purchasing choices, 76 per cent about rewarding sustainable companies, and 63 per cent about choosing organic products.
Since 2020, the various national and local editions of the Observatory have included a dedicated focus on Generation Z. Young people have never disappointed so far: partly inspired by Greta Thunberg, the driving force behind a combative global climate movement, they have consistently shown themselves to be better informed, more attentive and more proactive than the generations that came before them.
The data from this edition, however, suggest that this certainty is beginning to wobble. A few examples? Only 51 per cent have a full command of sustainability vocabulary (in 2020 the figure was 59 per cent). When asked whether they agree or disagree with various sustainable practices, such as reducing plastic consumption or investing in renewable sources, they appear less convinced than the national average. These responses can be explained as the legacy of a pandemic that forced young people to shut themselves away within the four walls of their bedrooms, depriving them of the exchange with others that sparks new ideas and builds awareness.
These and other data were at the heart of the debate held on Wednesday 22 September in Milan and streamed live on LifeGate.it. Following opening remarks by Enea Roveda, CEO of LifeGate, and Livia Pomodoro, President of Spazio Teatro No'hma and holder of the Unesco Chair "Food access and law" at the Università Statale di Milano, and after contributions from Massimo Gaudina, Head of the European Commission Representation, and journalist Ferruccio de Bortoli, the research was presented by Renato Mannheimer of the research institute Eumetra MR, Simona Roveda, editorial and communications director of LifeGate, and Roberto Sposini, journalist at LifeGate.
Endorsed by the European Commission, Connect4Climate, the Ministry of Ecological Transition, Regione Lombardia, the Municipality of Milan, Assolombarda and Confcommercio, the event is included in the official programme of All4Climate-Italy2021, an initiative aimed at promoting an open and constructive dialogue on achieving the objectives of the Paris Agreement, ahead of the pre-COP in Milan and COP26 in Glasgow.