Sustainability Influencers Are Reaching Gen Z

But Authenticity Matters

Gen Z on their phones. fauxels/Pexels

Social media has become one of the primary ways Generation Z (ages 18 to 27) learns about the world—including environmental issues. A new two-part study from the Penn Center for Science, Sustainability, and the Media at the University of Pennsylvania examined how sustainability-focused TikTok creators communicate with young audiences and how Gen Z responds to that messaging.

The research combined interviews with eight sustainability influencers plus a national survey of Gen Z TikTok users. Together, the findings suggest that young people are highly interested in sustainability regardless of political ideology, but that trust, authenticity, and practical advice are essential if influencers hope to inspire real-world environmental action.

Key Data

• A cohort of 443 Gen Z TikTok users participated in the audience survey (Study 2), providing one of the larger datasets examining how young adults perceive sustainability content on TikTok. Study 1 was based on interviews with eight sustainability influencers.

• About 84% of the Gen Z respondents said they are either interested in learning more about sustainability or are already actively doing so, indicating broad interest in environmental topics among young social media users.

• Sustainability interest crossed political lines. About 88% of liberal-leaning respondents, 80% of conservative-leaning respondents, and 77% of moderates expressed interest in learning more about sustainability or said they were already engaged with the topic.

• About 56% of respondents identified as liberal-leaning, 25% as conservative-leaning, and 19% as politically moderate.

• The eight influencers generally had audiences composed of 80% women, with most followers falling between 18 and 35 years old; this closely matched the Gen Z and younger Millennial demographic they hoped to reach.

• Some creators reported even stronger gender skews on TikTok. They estimated that 90% of their TikTok followers were women, compared with roughly 68%–70% on Instagram, suggesting platform-specific audience differences.

• To qualify for the interview portion of the study, the eight creators needed more than 10,000 followers and a sustained focus on sustainability topics such as waste reduction, sustainable living, conservation, or plant-based lifestyles.

• TikTok's reach remains enormous. The report notes that the platform now has more than 150 million monthly active U.S. users, giving sustainability communicators unprecedented opportunities to reach younger audiences.

• Influencer marketing has become a major economic force, generating an estimated $13.8 billion in the United States and supporting more than 50 million active content creators across social media platforms.

• The study cites national survey data showing that 59% of Americans under age 30 use TikTok. This helps explain why sustainability influencers view that platform as an important venue for environmental education and behavior change.

• The eight creators said their messaging frequently focused on small, achievable lifestyle changes—rather than perfection—to make sustainable living appear more affordable, practical, and accessible for everyday users. In this way, they sought to normalize incremental improvements that millions of people can adopt.

Source: Stephens, E. (2026). Sustainability-Focused Social Media Influencers on TikTok and Influence on Gen Z Perceptions of Sustainability and Behavior. Penn Center for Science, Sustainability, and the Media, University of Pennsylvania.