Seniors are also concerned about the planet
A study conducted in ten countries shows that more than half of young people believe that "humanity is doomed" and blame previous generations for their inaction.
Najoua Tahri, University of Montpellier; Jacques Igalens and Ziad Malas, University of Toulouse III – Paul Sabatier
In 2019, activist Greta Thunberg was 16 years old when she proclaimed at the UN:
"If you decide to abandon us, I'm telling you: we will never forgive you."
She was addressing not only governments but also the adults who run the world. The expression "ok boomer" symbolizes the political divide between generations, with young people often appearing very critical of how their elders manage the world and responding by adopting more environmentally friendly behaviors. Beyond the symbolism represented by Greta Thunberg, there is a clear difference in behavior between what is sometimes referred to as Generation Z (teenagers and adults currently aged 25) and seniors, who are considered to be the baby boomers (born between 1944 and 1960), i.e., broadly speaking, those over the age of 60.
In Western Europe, vegetarianism is six times more common among people under 25 than among those over 55. The importance of the car can also be seen as a sign of a difference between generations: the car ownership rate among those over 60 is more than 10 points higher than that of 18-25 year olds in 2019, whereas the gap was zero in 2004. This is linked in particular to a decline in the appeal of driving licenses: while in 1981 in France, 90% of men aged 21 to 25 had a driving license, the proportion fell to 80% in 2008, an effect driven by young people in metropolitan areas.
More broadly,the carbon footprint of people under 25 in rich countries is on average significantly lower than that of people over 60.
Should we then pit young people committed to the environmental cause against selfish seniors who are indifferent to it and trapped in eco-destructive, even eco-cidal, attitudes and behaviors? The behavior of certain (elderly) Total shareholders during the blockade of the company by climate activists might suggest so.
Scientific studies provide more nuanced and often counterintuitive answers to this question... A recent survey shows that seniors are more interested in ecology than young people and are more willing to align their actions with their ideas than the latter. Above all, seniors have good reasons to be concerned about the future of the planet...
Reasons specific to seniors
Older people are more exposed to the consequences of climate change, they are more vulnerable to disease in general, and they are also the most exposed to diseases caused or exacerbated by global warming, according to research conducted at Cornell University (United States).
It is worth noting that cyclones, which are becoming more frequent as a result of climate change, kill elderly people first: when Katrina struck New Orleans in 2005, 75% of those who died were over 60 years old, even though this group represented only 16% of the population.
In France, in August 2003, an unprecedented heatwave caused 15,000 deaths during nine days of extreme heat. Europe is increasingly affected by such episodes, and the first victims are always the elderly. Not only do they dehydrate more quickly (because they do not feel the need to drink enough), but they often take medications whose effects are potentiated by heat, which weakens them instead of treating them...
Fine particles produced by road transport and industrial pollution affect them more than young people. In poor countries, they are also the most vulnerable to stomach diseases caused by drinking impure water due to pollution or global warming. In reality, seniors are concerned about climate change because its effects are beginning to be felt and they are the first to be affected.
The luxury of time and resources
In wealthy countries such as France, people aged 60-80 generally have a higher standard of living than young adults and have much greater wealth. In terms of average standard of living, in 2019 it exceeded €27,000 per year for those aged 65-75, while it was just €23,000 for those aged 18-29. The gap in net wealth (real estate + savings - debts) is even more striking (a ratio of 1 to 9!).
These differences in averages should not obscure the significant inequalities within each generation, but poverty among older people is less common than among young people: the poverty rate for those over 65 is 8.6%, compared with 15.7% for 25-29 year olds and 22.7% for 18-24 year olds.
However, having money allows you to escape the urgency of the present and leads you to worry a little more about the future...
Income, because it allows for greater consumption, is often associated with a higher carbon footprint. But money also allows for more sustainable purchases: electric cars, better insulated homes, furniture and equipment that lasts longer, so that in the end, even if higher income does not lead to a smaller carbon footprint, it does seem to reduce the carbon footprint per dollar spent.
In addition to this difference in financial resources, there is also the issue of available time. Eco-friendly behaviors, such as using public transportation or sorting waste, require time, a resource that people over 60 have more of (both because they are retired and because they do not have young children at home). As a result, older people often behave in a more eco-friendly manner because they have more means to do so.
Generativity at the heart of commitment
Having the means is not enough; you also need the motivation to take action for the environment. And while older people are generally less aware of the link [between human activity] and climate change, as they age, their concern for the future of subsequent generations increases.
This is what psychologists call "generativity," which, according to American psychoanalyst Eric Erikson, refers to "the concern to establish and guide future generations."
This motivation is linked to more environmentally friendly consumption choices and also seems to explain the strong presence of 55-75 year olds among volunteers working in associations. Finally, this generativity explains many initiatives taken by older people directly in favor of the environment.
Seventy-year-olds alongside XR activists
Alongside the young people of Youth for Climate and Extinction Rebellion (XR), we are seeing more and more septuagenarians who are not afraid to lie down on the ground to protest against oil companies.
In practice, older people's civic engagement in environmental issues can take various forms , as illustrated by the examples of actions taken by associations belonging to the "Grandparents for Climate" network .
In the United Kingdom, lobbying members of parliament and businesses is commonplace. In Belgium, the association is known for its campaign to redirect savings towards sustainable projects or "green" investments. In France, the Grandparents' Climate Association places greater emphasis on education and the fight against waste.
Intergenerational mutual aid
The generational differences mentioned above mask significant disparities within each generation and correspond to two quite different effects. On the one hand , as people age, they "spontaneously" consume less at age 75 than at age 50 because they opt for a more "homebody" lifestyle. On the other hand, as suggested by a recent study by ADEME, older generations are more inclined to be frugal because they have experienced less prosperous times and have retained "anti-waste" habits.
In a way, older people can teach younger people to adopt more modest lifestyles, even though the latter are often more aware of the need to take action. Beyond education, seniors can help younger generations through the means at their disposal, particularly through savings and donations to charities.
Finally, seniors themselves are changing their habits. In the United States, for example, the proportion of solar panel buyers aged 65 and over has been increasing significantly since 2010.
The stereotype of seniors as polluters who are resistant to change can therefore evolve and should not obscure the growing importance of environmental issues for older people and, above all, their central role in the fight against global warming.
Najoua Tahri, Senior Lecturer in Management Sciences, IAE Montpellier and MRM., University of Montpellier; Jacques Igalens, Professor of Management Sciences, IAE Toulouse and CRM-CNRS; and Ziad Malas, Senior Lecturer in Management Sciences, University of Toulouse III – Paul Sabatier
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