Children are dreaming of a future where robots pick up litter, there are more green spaces to play in, fruit and vegetables are grown locally, public transport is electric only, and animals roam freely among us. But nearly half (46%) of children see cost as the main hurdle to creating greener cities, while 17% cite a lack of knowledge and 13% express confusion over what actions to take. This comes from a survey by green energy firm E.
ON, which asked 2,000 eight to 16-year-olds what sustainable British cities would look like if they were in charge. Over half (58%) of the Generation Alpha and Z youngsters said they would expect more green spaces such as parks and allotments, 54% wanted less plastic waste and 47% believed there should be solar panels on all buildings and bus stops. Additionally, 19% dreamed of robots being used to pick and recycle litter.
Almost half (44%) said ideally there would be more space for wildlife to live in harmony with us. To bring these visions to life, E. ON enlisted schoolchildren near its Coventry HQ to help create and paint a mural imagining a perfect green city of the future.
With the assistance of artist Ben Barter and muralist Katie O'Sullivan, the mural depicts children and robots picking litter, foxes, ducks and hedgehogs coexisting with humans and high streets full of rental fashion stores and upcycling shops. It also features sustainable solutions such as heat pumps, solar panels and EV chargers. When asked what would make Coventry truly.
