Dutch Young Adults’ Barriers and Needs in a Rapidly Changing Environment: A Qualitative Study of Sustainable Behaviour

Perceived barriers to sustainable behaviour and emotional needs due to environmental distress can inform strategies to overcome barriers to sustainability and alleviate envi-ronmental distress. We explored the emotional and psychological factors of 1006 Dutch young adults (ages 16–35, 51% women) identified as influencing their pro-environmental behaviour, using fixed-answer and two open-ended questions. Almost half of young adults (46%) replied that they already did what they could to live sustainably. The key perceived barriers to sustainable behaviour were money (21%), knowledge (8%), and time (7%). One third of participants (31%) reported that nothing could make them feel better about environmental change, suggesting despair. A similar percentage (36%) of adults reported no particular feelings about climate problems, suggesting indifference. Re-spondents called for more personal, social, and government action, and motivating posi-tive news on climate action. Our findings underscore the need for an integrative and posi-tively framed approach that meaningfully engages young adults, fosters a sense of agency and belonging, and positions them as active contributors to sustainable solutions.