Thinking “green” does not always mean living “green”. A study* by the energy company Enefit shows that very few people in Latvia choose sustainable solutions for their household day to day, even though they are aware of the positive impact of renewable energy. What is more, the older we get, the less attention we pay to sustainability issues, which are unquestionably more important to young people.
The older the respondents, the less significant questions relating to green energy appear to be. For example, when choosing an electricity supplier, green or renewable energy options have been important overall to almost half, or 44%, of respondents aged 18-24, but to only 26% in the age group over 65. Meanwhile, whether the service provider devotes attention to green energy initiatives such as the use of renewable energy sources or support for environmental sustainability has been important to 43% of young people and to only 25% of seniors.
“The younger generations deserve credit for their long-term thinking: as the survey results show, thinking green does not always mean actually adopting such habits, and younger people are considerably better at it. We would like to remind people that thinking and acting green is financially rather advantageous. Yes, introducing sustainable solutions in households requires a certain investment, but the long-term benefits outweigh the initial outlay and make it possible to reduce running costs appreciably,” explains Elza Rudzīte, Head of the Private Customer Segment Department at Enefit.
It seems self-evident that green initiatives matter more often to younger people. However, when assessing whether this also shows up in their everyday habits and future plans, one has to conclude that thinking is not the same as doing: only 18% of respondents aged 18-24 use green energy in their home. That said, this is considerably more than in other age groups – among residents over the age of 45, for example, the figure does not even reach 5%. Meanwhile, one in ten Latvian residents aged 18-34 plans to buy an electric car within the next two years.
“ People understand that sustainability is important and are happy to accept caring for the environment as a current issue. That is a valuable step towards real action, which for the time being follows less often. Our goal is green thinking that also shows in deeds, so that it becomes the foundation of a sustainable future rather than a fine slogan. Young people are the strength of the future, so their choices and actions in caring for the environment will both shape their own everyday progress towards more efficient conservation of natural resources and give them the chance to help their parents and grandparents do the same,” urges Elza Rudzīte.
* The study was carried out in 2025 in cooperation with the company Synthesis Consulting Group. More than 1000 Latvian residents aged between 18 and 74 took part in the survey.