Environmental sustainability concerns play a considerable role in the career and consumption choices of Gen Zs and Millennials, with seven out of ten reporting that companies’ environmental credentials are important to choosing employers, and nearly two-thirds saying they are willing to pay more for sustainable products, according to a new survey by global professional services firm Deloitte.
For the report, the 2025 Gen Z and Millennial Survey, Deloitte surveyed more than 23,400 Gen Z (those born between 1995 – 2005) and millennial (born 1983 – 1994) respondents across North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia-Pacific. Deloitte noted that Gen Zs and Millennials are anticipated to make up 74% of the global workforce by 2030.
The survey found that purpose in the workplace is a major motivating factor for the Gen Z and Millennial workforce, with around 90% in each group reporting that a sense of purpose is important to their job satisfaction and well-being, with Deloitte noting that respondents in the study are seeking to balance a “trifecta” of money, meaning, and well-being in their careers.
The study also found that respondents are increasingly concerned about the environment, with 65% of Gen Zs and 63% of Millennials reporting having felt worried about the environment in the past month, up several percentage points over a survey last year, and with less than 30% of each group reporting that they have not experienced extreme weather events in the past year.
The survey suggested that the respondents’ environmental concerns and focus on purpose is influencing their career decisions and actions. According to the study, 70% of respondents reported that they consider a company’s environmental credentials or policies to be important when evaluating a potential employer, with around 23% reporting that they have already researched a company’s environmental credentials and policies before accepting a job, and 15% of Gen Zs and 13% of Millennials saying that they have already changed jobs due to concerns about environmental impact. Additionally, nearly half of respondents in each group (48% of Gen Z and 47% of Millennials) reported that they and their colleagues have put pressure on their employers to take action on protecting the environment.
Similarly, Gen Zs and Millennials are also integrating sustainability considerations into their consumption decisions and behaviors, according to the study, which found that 65% of Gen Zs and 63% of Millennials reported being willing to pay more for environmentally sustainable products or services, and that around 25% have already conducted research on a company’s environmental impact or policies before buying a product or service from them.
Additionally, many respondents reported taking action to reduce their environmental impact, with 43% of Gen Zs and 47% of Millennials saying they have taken steps to conserve water, and 36% saying they have started to take more energy efficient transportation instead of driving a car. Additionally, more than a quarter of respondents reported that they have upgraded their homes with more sustainable features such as solar panels or geothermal heating, and around 45% plan to do so in the future, and nearly half of each group said that they plan to purchase an electric vehicle or hybrid in the future.
Click here to access the survey.
