Young Mexicans Drive Digital Activism for the Environment

Around 80% of young Mexicans are deeply concerned about environmental issues, with many turning to digital activism and collective action to address challenges like climate change, deforestation, and resource depletion. This growing engagement reflects a strong desire to contribute to solving the country's environmental crisis.

According to the Citizen Preferences on the Environment survey, conducted by the Causa Natura Center in 2025, 77% of young people aged 16 to 24 and 80% of those aged 25 to 39 show a high interest in collective action and digital activism on environmental issues. The goal of the survey was to understand how citizens perceive environmental problems and what actions they are willing to take to contribute to their solution.

Out of the 3,670 individuals surveyed digitally in Mexico, 69% have expressed their environmental activism through signing petitions on digital platforms, participating in protests, or denouncing issues on social media. Moreover, 61% have volunteered with civil society organizations, and 32% of respondents have taken their concerns directly to authorities. It is worth noting that within this category, the majority belong to the group aged over 40.

Overall, 71% of respondents believe that the quality of the environment has worsened in the last five years. Furthermore, the main environmental concerns of citizens are deforestation (24%), climate change (18.3%), and the overexploitation of natural resources (14.6%). However, the study highlights clear differences between regions, suggesting the need for differentiated strategies. For instance, climate change is a concern more pronounced in the central and northern parts of the country, where the effects of extreme heat and drought have been more evident. In contrast, the exploitation of natural resources is a key issue in the Bajio region.

Additionally, the National Survey on the Legislative Agenda (ENALE) conducted by the Belisario Domínguez Institute (IBD) of the Senate in 2023 revealed that water scarcity, particularly affecting the northern regions of the country, is the primary environmental concern for 53% of Mexicans. In second and third place were air pollution at 39% and the lack of waste collection and recycling at 35%.

The results also showed that most young people consider the most effective measures to address environmental problems to be fines, stricter regulations, and a change in consumption patterns. In contrast, R&D of sustainable technology is more popular among people over 56 years old.

Moreover, it is considered that the actors with the least credibility to lead the environmental fight are municipal and state governments. Similarly, a lack of trust in the business sector became evident, suggesting that despite corporate social responsibility and sustainability initiatives, companies have not succeeded in positioning themselves as key players in the fight against the environmental crisis. On the other hand, civil society organizations are seen as the main drivers of environmental action, with 30% of respondents recognizing their leadership. Additionally, 61% of respondents said they had sought support from these organizations.

The states with the highest levels of concern are Queretaro and Campeche, where 80% of the population believes the environmental crisis has intensified. In contrast, in Guerrero and Tabasco, although the negative perception remains high at 22% and 27%, respectively, a smaller proportion of people consider that the environment has worsened drastically. On the other hand, the states leading in environmental actions at the national level, from signing petitions to political advocacy and community work, are Baja California Sur with 84%, Mexico City with 79%, and Queretaro with 77%.

The study concludes that citizens are increasingly concerned about the environment, although significant gaps remain between awareness and action. Protests, petitions, and social media are the most used channels to express discontent, while contact with authorities remains low.