Shawn Mendes on climate change: 'I empathize with the doom'

Sept. 23 (UPI) -- Shawn Mendes discussed climate change and how his generation views it while appearing on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

The singer, on Wednesday, first mentioned how it felt to bring attention to climate change during a 2019 concert in Brazil. Mendes had stopped performing and held up his guitar which was labeled with the phrase "Climate Action Now."

"My whole body was shaking because it was standing for something bigger than myself. It was like extremely important to be able to stand for that and I could feel the power of the stadium," Mendes said.

Colbert then brought up that polls show 56% of young people agree with the statement that humanity is doomed.

"I think it makes a lot of sense. We've basically grown up, my generation, going to school since we were like 5 basically being told that the earth is dying. So it's only fair to be adults now and be feeling like yeah, it's always been dying. It's always been doomed," Mendes said, before mentioning how all of the information we need to curb climate change is out there.

"I empathize with the doom. I feel the doom," Mendes said before he agreed with Colbert that he can't give in to the feeling of doom.

Mendes also discussed how he will be donating proceeds from his upcoming tour to his foundation, which provides grants to young activists.

"It's so interesting at a young age you can be so passionate about something, so pure and so good. It can take something kind of [expletive] as money to deter you from that. Being able to kind of fund a young person can change their entire life to being dedicated to helping the world," he said.