Summary
This report analyses data from the 2025 Mission Australia Youth Survey to examine how climate change affects young people in Australia. It explores impacts on emotional distress, day-to-day functioning (including school, work, sleep, relationships and leisure), safety concerns during severe weather events, and belief in collective efforts to make a difference in addressing climate change.
Key Findings
The report identifies four distinct groups of young people impacted by climate distress in different ways:
- Low impact group (23%): low climate distress, impact on day-to-day functioning or safety concerns;
- Emotional impact group (30%): high climate distress but low impact on day-to-day functioning;
- Functional impact group (25%): high climate distress and impact on day-to-day functioning; and
- Safety impact group (23%): moderate climate distress and impact on day-to-day functioning, but low sense of safety and collective efficacy.
Overall, more than three in four young people reported being affected by climate change, environmental issues and severe weather events.
The findings show that climate-related impacts on young people are closely linked to social determinants that reinforce existing cycles of disadvantage.
Policy and practice implications
The report points to an urgent need for coordinated policy action in response to escalating climate-related challenges in Australia, including:
- embedding young people’s climate-related mental health needs within policy and service planning;
- co-developing responses with young people; strengthening workforce and community capacity to recognise and respond to climate-related impacts;
- increasing access to mental health and social supports; investing in prevention, resilience and recovery approaches that are tailored to young people;
- enhancing climate change and disaster resilience education;
- supporting targeted research;
- developing new joint community and clinical programs for young people experiencing emotional and functional impacts;
- increasing opportunities for environmental action in community and education settings, including as a form of social prescribing; and
- strengthening safety-focused supports for young people exposed to, or at risk of, extreme weather events.