It is known that moving the needle on climate change is a difficult task, but UAE residents are concerned about the state of our planet for future generations.

According to Human8’s What Matter Report 2024, over 80% agreed that the time has come to transition from “preventing further damage” to “reversing damage already done.” About 45% of UAE residents believe it is not too late to reverse the damage done to global ecosystems. 

They believe that their consumption habits need to be more sustainable to mitigate climate change, with nine out of 10 saying that brands also need to provide more information about sustainability efforts and 60% noting that brands that don’t communicate about sustainability aren’t sustainable.  

To this end, 88% feel brands must take responsibility in helping to safeguard the future of the people and planet. 

According to the report, more than four out of five UAE residents surveyed shared concerns for future generations — over 80% said we owe it to future generations to make drastic changes to how we live. 

The study also shows only 20% of UAE residents are confident that they live a sustainable lifestyle. However, this is much higher than their peers in other EMEA markets such as France (7%), Germany (10%), South Africa (16%) and the UK (7%). 

“UAE residents have recognized that moving away from a consumption-driven lifestyle is essential to safeguarding and restoring the planet. This echoes the historic UAE Consensus agreement signed by 198 nations, which aligns on the move away from fossil fuels, a new target to triple renewables and double energy efficiency by 2030, and a decision to build momentum towards a new architecture for climate finance,” says Tom De Ruyck, Partner & Chief Growth Officer at Human8.