Bridging Youth Innovation and Business Insight to Tackle the Intent-Action Gap

At a regional workshop in New Delhi, youth, business, and behavioural experts joined forces to shift consumption habits for a more sustainable future

July 6, 2025

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Young people across Asia are calling for more sustainable products, ethical business practices, and responsible consumption. But even with growing awareness and commitment, turning good intentions into meaningful everyday actions remains a challenge. That’s the ‘intent–action gap’ – and it was the focus of Beyond Intent, a two-day regional workshop hosted by UNDP with support from the Government of Sweden and in partnership with the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India and Behavioural Insights, Architecture and Strategy (BIAS).

Held in New Delhi, the workshop brought together youth changemakers from Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Myanmar, and Viet Nam alongside business leaders, creative professionals, researchers, and behavioural science experts. The goal? To design smarter, more effective ways to make responsible consumption and production easier, more visible, and more impactful.

At the heart of the workshop was the recognition that knowledge alone isn’t enough. Behavioural science offers practical tools to understand why people make the choices they do, especially when those choices don’t always align with their values.

Together, participants explored the biggest behavioural hurdles driving the intent–action gap: impulse buying, convenience, greenwashing, and price perceptions. They also heard directly from businesses balancing sustainability goals with supplier constraints, customer expectations, and pricing pressures.

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A group of five people engaged in discussion, with one woman presenting in a saree.

A man in traditional attire speaks into a microphone during a panel discussion.

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A woman with glasses speaking to a group seated at a table, with laptops and documents.

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Connecting Youth with Business and Creative Voices

What made the Beyond Intent workshop unique was the cross-sector collaboration. Youth teams were paired with mentors from the worlds of strategic communications, branding, journalism, and retail design to craft real-world campaign ideas. These ranged from influencing shopping habits to reshaping how sustainability is framed in packaging, storytelling, and corporate messaging.

Participants also engaged with companies in Asia’s food and farm supply chains, learning about the tough trade-offs businesses face, and how behavioural science can offer solutions that work for both producers and consumers.

The workshop culminated in a creative pitch session, where youth teams presented their ideas to a panel of experts. These "shark tank"-style pitches showcased innovative ways to shift behaviours through empathy, smart design, and compelling narratives.

Turning Insights into Action

One of the most powerful takeaways? The intent–action gap isn’t just a consumer problem. It exists in the boardroom, the factory floor, the online store, and the way we communicate sustainability itself.

By bringing together behavioural insights, business realities, and youth-led creativity, the workshop provided a space for listening, shared learning, and experimentation.

The workshop was part of UNDP’s ongoing work on youth, sustainable development, and business and human rights in Asia. Supported by the Government of Sweden, the workshop reflects a growing recognition that youth engagement must go beyond awareness-raising: it must equip young people with the tools, platforms, and partnerships to drive real change.