When it comes to adopting daily sustainable lifestyles, ownership interventions may be more impactful if targeted at younger people.
According to a whitepaper by Singlife, ‘Closing the Sustainability Action Gap: Insights from the Singlife-SGFIN Sustainable Future Index 2026, while 50% of Gen Z respondents are currently practicing sustainable daily lifestyles, another 30% “intend to do so”, which is the highest intention-action gap across all age groups.
In particular, the study revealed that “increasing their sense of personal responsibility leads to a 10%-48% increase in intention to adopt daily sustainable actions”.
As such, the study also recommended that policymakers and government agencies “convey that an individual’s daily choices have real environmental consequences to increase their sense of personal responsibility”.
The study also looked into how financial institutions may help translate intention to action, to close the gap among Gen Zs.
- Strengthen Gen Z’s sense of personal responsibility and belief in their ability to create impact through their investments. Messaging should emphasise that individual contributions, regardless of size, can still generate meaningful impact.
- Repositioning sustainability from a secondary feature to a core purpose and identity of the product, such that the impact of the product is more visible and credible.
- Frame investment decisions as ethical choices with tangible real-world consequences, emphasising that where individuals allocate their capital can either contribute to or mitigate negative sustainability impacts.
- Highlight tangible climate risks in Singapore, such as flooding, heat stress and health impacts, and frame climate insurance as personal financial protection rather than an abstract sustainability product.
The insurer is also taking steps to close the sustainability gap, with initiatives such as unveiling a sculpture of an endangered orangutan and her young, created from discarded materials collected in Singapore. As Singlife CEO Pearlyn Phau put it, “We advocate planning and protection so people can give their children financial security. But legacy is more than money; it is also physical wellbeing, and a healthy planet to grow up on.”
Another initiative Singlife has taken is hosting the inaugural New Life Youth Forum, with the theme “Untrashing Nature: How Can It Be Done?”.
At the forum, Singlife Head of Sustainability Chia Ko Wen said, “Singlife helps people protect their tomorrow, and sustainability is part of that responsibility, because the choices we make today affect the world we leave behind for future generations.
“Our research shows that people are more likely to act when they believe their personal choices can make a difference. Through our New Life initiative and public forums like these, we hope to help young people take ownership of their personal choices and turn what they know into practical action.”