Age International’s Katy Chadwick and Katie Jakeman look ahead to COP30, which is a key moment in the year for climate justice. Here, they set out three real opportunities to ensure that older people are a meaningful part of the global response to climate change.
The climate crisis is one of the most profound challenges of our time. It is happening alongside population ageing, which is having a significant impact on the shape of our communities, systems and societies. The impacts of the climate crisis and population ageing are unfolding right now and will be felt in the years to come.
Every year, the Conference of Parties (or COP) brings together world leaders to negotiate global climate change policy – as well as the delivery of the Paris Agreement, which is the global pact to keep warming below 2°C. In 2025, COP will take place from 10 to 21 November in Belem, Brazil. Belem is a city in the heart of the Amazon that is acutely feeling the impacts of the climate crisis.
It is critical that climate change policy pays attention to the way the climate crisis and population ageing interact, but these issues are rarely considered at COP. This isn’t a discussion about future priorities. Older people, right now, are feeling the impacts of climate change. The 2024 Lancet Countdown on health and climate change, found that heat-related mortality of people older than 65 has increased by 167% since the 1990s. Many older people have also witnessed climatic shifts, water scarcity and deforestation over their lifetimes.
"There was plenty of grazing land and water. But with this drought, we had to travel more than 200 kilometres for grass and water."
Adi, 72, has experienced a number of droughts in Ethiopia. She and her family now farm corn on a small piece of land to survive.
Photo credit: Aron Simeneh / HelpAge International / 1in6by2030
This isn’t just about the impact climate change is having on older people and their families. Older people are also leading climate action and response, many of them are focused on finding multigenerational solutions to climate change. Their participation has been a significant feature of recent climate change action in the UK and around the world. Age International’s partner GRAVIS, in India, for example, has been holding intergenerational learning groups to bring girls, younger and older women together to share their knowledge, understand the climate crisis better, and build their political influence.
Older people are concerned for younger generations and want to see environmental justice. The public attitude tracker on climate change and net zero for England in 2024 showed that 80% of all adults were fairly, or very, concerned about climate change, and that older people were more likely to be very concerned than younger people[1]. Older people bring wisdom, skills, traditional practices, tangible solutions and commitment to the fight for climate justice. They have much to offer in contributing important knowledge to inform climate policies and adaptation plans.
"World leaders must understand that we have ways of knowing and protecting our land. They need to hear from us, to work with us on solutions that respect our traditions as well as modern methods."
Elijah, 78, lives in a rural community in Zimbabwe. He is calling for governments to recognise the expertise and wisdom of older people in adapting to the climate crisis.
Photo credit: Cynthia Matonhodze / National Age Network of Zimbabwe / 1in6by2030
COP30 will be focused on turning ‘ambition into action’. Civil society is asking governments to close the ‘ambition gap’ and align national plans with what it takes to meet Paris Agreement commitments to limit warming to below 2°C. They are also asking governments to plan for the ‘Just Transition’ – moving to a low carbon economy in a way that is fair and inclusive, ensuring that no communities or individuals are left behind.
Action on achieving climate change ambitions, and planning for a Just Transition, requires collective effort, imagination, and multigenerational collaboration. It can’t happen without the full participation of older people. There are three key opportunities at this year’s COP to bring attention to the specific rights, needs and contributions of older people in climate policy, and to reinforce the value of a multigenerational approach to climate justice.
On 13 November, health will be a key focus at COP30. One outcome will be the Belém Health Action Plan (BHAP). This will offer the opportunity to build climate-resilient, age-inclusive health systems. Older people's health is particularly impacted by climate change because, as we age, our bodies can't adjust as easily to factors like extreme heat and poor air quality. Action is necessary as global health systems face the joint pressures of accelerating climate change and population ageing.
Age International is calling for the UK Government’s endorsement and support of the BHAP, and to include the meaningful engagement of older people in the process. The Government should also include commitments to strengthening data on climate and health, ensuring data is disaggregated by sex, age and disability (you can read more here about why ‘SADD’ data is important). It should also encourage investments in the global health infrastructure and workforce that are age friendly from the outset.
Climate change amplifies the inequalities that women of all ages already face. For example, women who already shoulder a disproportionate responsibility for meeting household needs have to walk longer distances for resources like water and firewood, and older women often face heightened risks during climate extremes.
Last year at COP29, the Parties agreed to further action on climate that promotes gender equality through the extension of the ‘Lima work programme on gender’. The Gender Action Plan (GAP) takes forward these commitments and is due to be agreed at COP30 this year.
Age International is calling for the UK Government to support the GAP and to name older women as key stakeholders in climate change action. The GAP should collect data disaggregated by sex, age, and disability that tracks progress and identifies gaps. It should also take a life course approach to achieving gender equality, recognising the different issues which women and girls face at different stages of their lives.
Climate adaptation means taking action to respond to the immediate impacts of climate change. For example, insulating buildings better to adapt to higher temperatures. Action on adaptation though needs to be informed by those most affected. This is why older people who are most susceptible to harm from climate impacts, like heatwaves and natural disasters, need to be included in climate adaptation planning. Their knowledge and lived experiences are essential for designing community resilience strategies.
Adaptation work is urgent and can be life-saving, but it is also often under-funded and under-prioritised. At COP30, governments will also be finalising the ‘Global Goals for Adaptation’. There is a risk that older people and age-inclusive adaptation measures could be left out of the response.
Age International is calling for older people to be included in adaptation responses, and to integrate age-friendly adaptation measures into the goals. Better recognition of unpaid care work, infrastructure that is adapted to ageing populations, and age-inclusive social protection systems would go far in mitigating the impacts of climate change and improve the lives of people of all ages.
During this summer’s heatwave, Age International launched a campaign action calling on the UK Government’s Climate Minister to include older people in climate change adaptation plans, and 524 MPs across the country were contacted by their constituents about this issue. We renew our calls to the Government to listen to the concerns of the UK public. As COP30 approaches, let’s use the opportunities of a multigenerational approach to ensure climate action is truly inclusive of the rights, needs and voices of older people.
Katy Chadwick is Senior Policy Adviser (Climate and Gender) and Katie Jakeman is Policy Adviser (Health and Humanitarian) at Age International.
We are working with older people and our partners to adapt to a changing climate.
Older people share their experiences of climate change in a new photo series by HelpAge International.
