Eco-emotions among young people in Valle de Aburrá, Colombia: an exploratory survey of emotional responses, institutional perceptions and action

This exploratory study describes the eco-emotions reported by young people aged 18 to 28 in the Área Metropolitana del Valle de Aburrá, Colombia, and their perceptions of how local government, companies and the education system respond to climate change and ecological degradation. An online survey was answered by a convenience sample of 516 young people, almost all with secondary education or higher. Emotions are reported in six groups (anxiety and fear, sorrow, anger, guilt and shame, powerlessness, and positive or detached responses) and interpreted through the framework of moral injury. Most respondents felt sad (86.2%), afraid (81.8%), powerless (77.7%) and guilty (76.4%); half also felt optimistic. Women reported negative emotions more often than men, with small to medium differences. Few respondents felt protected or valued by government or companies, between 27% and 42% did not know how their local government was responding, and strong negative emotions were more frequent towards companies. Emotions did not vary with trust in local government. Respondents reported high willingness to act and 83.3% had changed their lifestyle, but only 27.1% took part in environmental initiatives, and participation was unrelated to emotions. We discuss these findings in relation to Latin American research on eco-emotions and solastalgia and to the Colombian context, where environmental defenders face high risks, and derive implications for climate education, youth participation, institutional communication and emotional support.