header.search.error
UBS Worry Barometer 2025
Protecting our environment remains a fundamental issue, especially for younger generations. Sustainable financial solutions help combine environmental awareness with financial goals and contribute to climate protection.
Concerns about the environment and climate were named as one of the major challenges in 2025 by 31% of all respondents to the UBS Worry Barometer survey. This puts environmental threats second on the list of top 20 concerns. Although the survey score was 32% in the previous year and almost 40% in the peak years between 2019 and 2021, environmental awareness remains at a high level.
This shows that the need to protect natural resources is still regarded as urgent. However, the call for comprehensive measures is only particularly pronounced among the younger generation and a section of the electorate. Major changes based on broad social alliances currently lack support.
Environmental protection and climate change are important to many people – but not all to the same extent. The younger the respondents, the greater the concern: environmental protection and climate change are seen as much more relevant by the younger generation than by the middle and older generations. 18- to 39-year-olds class the issue as the second-highest priority, while the population aged 40 and over only put it in sixth place.
Rank | Rank | Younger generation (18- to 39-year-olds) | Younger generation (18- to 39-year-olds) | Middle generation (40- to 64-year-olds) | Middle generation (40- to 64-year-olds) | Older generation (65 years and above) | Older generation (65 years and above) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rank | 1st place | Younger generation (18- to 39-year-olds) | Health issues/health insurance/premiums (41%) | Middle generation (40- to 64-year-olds) | Health issues/health insurance/premiums (48 %) | Older generation (65 years and above) | Health issues/health insurance/premiums (44 %) |
Rank | 2nd place | Younger generation (18- to 39-year-olds) | Environmental protection/climate change/natural disasters (40%) | Middle generation (40- to 64-year-olds) | Foreign nationals/free movement of persons/immigration (34%) | Older generation (65 years and above) | Relationship with Europe, EU, framework agreement, access to the European market (31%) |
Rank | 3rd place | Younger generation (18- to 39-year-olds) | OASI/retirement planning (28%) | Middle generation (40- to 64-year-olds) | OASI/retirement planning (32%) | Older generation (65 years and above) | Foreign nationals/free movement of persons/immigration (30 %) |
Rank | 4th place | Younger generation (18- to 39-year-olds) | Higher housing costs/rent (28%) | Middle generation (40- to 64-year-olds) | Refugees/asylum (28%) | Older generation (65 years and above) | OASI/retirement planning (29%) |
Rank | 5th place | Younger generation (18- to 39-year-olds) | Foreign nationals/free movement of persons/immigration (23 %) | Middle generation (40- to 64-year-olds) | Relationship with Europe, EU, framework agreement, access to the European market (27 %) | Older generation (65 years and above) | Refugees/asylum (29 %) |
Rank | 6th place | Younger generation (18- to 39-year-olds) | Refugees/asylum (23 %) | Middle generation (40- to 64-year-olds) | Environmental protection/climate change/natural disasters (27 %) | Older generation (65 years and above) | Environmental protection/climate change/natural disasters (29 %) |
The results for the younger generation of 18 to 39-year-olds show that while young women are particularly focused on social challenges – such as the environment/climate at 44% – the figure for young men is significantly lower at 35%. Among young men on the other hand, aspects such as migration and tax policy issues such as immigration, asylum, taxes and energy also have high priority. Although healthcare costs and environmental issues rank similarly highly among young men, their perceived urgency is clearly lower than among the young women surveyed.
in % of voters, share of mentions
The bar chart compares the ten most important concerns of young men and women aged 18 to 39. For each topic, the concerns mentioned by both groups are shown as separate bars, making differences and similarities in concerns visible at a glance.
This polarization is more pronounced when the respondents’ voting behavior is taken into account. Depending on party affiliation, environmental and climate concerns are either an above-average issue – or appear to be of secondary importance or even negligible.
Among supporters of the Greens (79%), GLP (57%) and SP (56%), concern for the environment and climate ranked first among the top 10 concerns, whereas those who sympathize with Die Mitte or the FDP only mention environmental issues in sixth (21%) and ninth place (19%) respectively. The topic is not even among the top 10 concerns for supporters of the SVP.
This indicates that politically speaking, Switzerland is divided on the climate issue. Voter disunity makes broad political alliances for significantly more climate and environmental protection quite unlikely, but does not rule out individual improvements.
Regularly review your energy consumption.
Make mindful and sustainable purchasing decisions.
Consider sustainability in your financial choices.
Opt for eco-friendly ways to get around.
Actively integrate environmental protection into daily life.
The consistently high survey results in the UBS Worry Barometer clearly show that sustainability is a lasting commitment, not a temporary phenomenon. Protecting the environment and climate remains a sustained, forward-looking commitment for society. UBS assumes responsibility in this area for both private individuals and companies.
There are various environmentally friendly options for the population that can be easily integrated into daily habits, family life and work. Possibilities range from sustainable consumer behavior, healthcare and eating habits to financial decisions. More and more providers are making their environmental activities transparent and offering corresponding products and services. There are also more and more opportunities to combine environmental awareness with individual goals when making financial decisions. UBS supports its clients with a broad range of financial products, services and solutions.
Investing money: As an investor, you can integrate climate protection into your investment strategy – for example by choosing sustainable investments. Sustainable investment options are available for a large number of investment funds and ETFs, as well as in the pillar 2 and 3 restricted pension plans, for example in the form of UBS Vitainvest Investment Funds. If you want to invest assets for a particularly long period, you can also take into account the values and goals of the younger generation in the family thanks to expert advice.
Increasing energy efficiency: As an owner or buyer of residential property, you have the chance to influence the energy consumption and climate friendliness of your property. With targeted measures such as energy-efficient renovation work or the acquisition of sustainable properties, you can not only save costs but also make a contribution to environmental protection. The UBS renovation calculator can give you an estimate of your property’s energy consumption, renovation requirements and CO₂ emissions in just a few steps. The UBS Mortgage Renovation can help you to finance climate-friendly renovation work, while the UBS Mortgage Green is specially tailored to the purchase of energy-efficient properties.
UBS pursues clear goals to strengthen sustainability in relation to the ESG topics (Environment, Social and Governance). With the UBS Loan Green, we offer a targeted financing solution that is specially designed for energy-efficient investment and commercial properties. In association with our partner Wincasa, we can also help you to find the right strategy with the UBS Renovation Service – without any obligation and always tailored to your budget and needs. With our sustainable financing solutions such as sustainability-linked loans, we also promote specific sustainable projects and support your company’s long-term development.
