Get Them Involved! Using older people’s wisdom and memories to build support for the climate movement

While extreme weather events affect every human worldwide to some extent, it is older adults who tend to be the most vulnerable. Who struggles most is partly determined by age, in addition to mental and physical well-being, and social and economic circumstances.

As climate change intensifies, weather extremes are becoming more frequent. The global population, meanwhile, is also getting older, with experts predicting around one out of every six people in the world will be 60 or older in 2030. This poses a major global challenge.

While the older population remains the most vulnerable, they are also the ones who have a lot to contribute. They often hold precious indigenous and local knowledge of the place they live in. Their memories and experiences could provide insights into ways to handle the emergency.

Engaging And Empowering The Older Generation To Take Action

Older adults also wield significant economic influence and voting power, which could be utilised to promote different climate policies. While youngsters are often called the backbone of climate action, their older counterparts are not far behind.

Around 70% of under-18s who responded to a major UN worldwide survey believed climate change is a global emergency. 58% of those aged 60-plus feel the same – a figure confirming a good number of older and younger respondents shared similar thoughts.

Engaging and empowering the older generation to take action in fighting the emergency can help build even more support for the movement. To make this happen, we must overcome obstacles, such as access to technology, to ensure older people can contribute their skills.