YOUNG PEOPLE’S PERCEPTION ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

Sustainable development is one of the key pre-conditions of achieving desirable world for next generations. It is a broad concept which contains environmental, economic and social dimensions. In a world of growing globalization, where the interconnectedness and interdependence of nations and people are growing, it was decided to set a set of values through 17 global goals that will guide each UN member to bring the world on a sustainable path. Young people are drivers of change and should be encouraged and empowered to participate in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda at local and national level in order to make the most effective transformation of the world into a better place for all. Since young people are a pledge for the future of the labor market, it is interesting to explore their knowledge of sustainable development. The aim of this paper is to investigate the knowledge of young people in Brod Posavina County on sustainable development and determine whether there is a connection between gender, place of residence and level of education of young people with knowledge of the concepts and components of sustainable development and sustainable development goals. For the purposes of this paper, an empirical study was conducted involving young people from 18-30 years of age. A survey questionnaire was used to collect data. Univariate and bivariate statistics methods were used for data processing. Univariate statistics consist of frequencies, measures of central tendency, percentages and measures of variability, while bivariate statistics in this case include χ² test, T-test and simple analysis of variance. In addition to the survey, scientific and professional articles, publications and statistics were studied. The results of the research confirm that the sociodemographic characteristics of young people affect different knowledge of the determinants of sustainable development.