Seniors, too, care about the planet
A study conducted in about 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 declared at the UN:
"If you decide to let us down, I'm telling you: we will never forgive you."
She was addressing not only governments but also the adults who run the world. The phrase “ok boomer” symbolizes the political divide between generations, particularly as young people often appear highly critical of how their elders manage the world and respond by adopting more environmentally friendly behaviors. Beyond the symbolism represented by Greta Thunberg, there is indeed a behavioral gap between what is sometimes called Generation Z (today’s teenagers and 25-year-olds) and older adults, who are generally considered to be part of the baby boom generation (born between 1944 and 1960)—roughly speaking, those over 60.
In Western Europe, vegetarianism is thus six times more common among people under 25 than among those over 55. The importance of car ownership can also be seen as a sign of a generational divide: in 2019, the car ownership rate among those over 60 was more than 10 percentage points higher than that of 18- to 25-year-olds, whereas the gap was zero in 2004. This is largely due to a decline in interest in obtaining a driver’s license: while in 1981 in France, 90% of men aged 21 to 25 held a driver’s license, that proportion dropped to 80% in 2008, a trend driven by young people in major cities.
More broadly,the carbon footprint of people under 25 in wealthy countries is, on average, significantly lower than that of people over 60.
Should we, then, pit a youth committed to the environmental cause against selfish seniors who are indifferent to it and trapped in eco-destructive—or even eco-cidal—attitudes and behaviors? The behavior of certain (older) 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 older adults are more interested in environmental issues than younger people and are more willing to align their actions with their beliefs than the younger generation. Above all, older adults have good reasons to be concerned about the future of the planet…
Reasons specific to seniors
Older adults are more exposed to the consequences of climate change; they are more vulnerable to diseases in general; and they are also the most at risk from diseases caused or exacerbated by global warming, according to research conducted at Cornell University (United States).
It is worth noting that hurricanes—whose frequency is increasing due to climate change—primarily claim the lives of older adults: when Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans in 2005, 75% of those who died were over the age of 60, even though this group accounted for only 16% of the population.
In France, in August 2003, an unprecedented heat wave caused 15,000 deaths during nine days of extreme heat. Yet Europe is increasingly prone to such heat waves, and the first victims are always the elderly. Not only do they become dehydrated more quickly (because they don’t feel the need to drink enough), but they often take medications whose effects are intensified by the heat, which weakens them rather than treating them…
The fine particulate matter produced by road traffic and industrial pollution affects them more than it does young people. In poor countries, they are also the most vulnerable to stomach diseases caused by drinking contaminated water due to pollution or global warming. In fact, one reason older adults are concerned about climate change is that 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 possess significantly greater wealth. In terms of average standard of living, in 2019 it exceeded 27,000 euros per year for those aged 65–75, while it was just 23,000 euros for those aged 18–29. The gap in net worth (real estate + savings – debt) is even more striking (a ratio of 1 to 9!).
These differences in average figures should not obscure the significant inequalities within each generation, but poverty among older adults is less common than among young people: the poverty rate for those over 65 is 8.6%, compared with 15.7% for those aged 25–29 and 22.7% for those aged 18–24
However, having money allows you to escape the pressures of the present and leads you to worry a little more about the future…
Income, because it allows people to consume more, is often associated with a [ higher carbon footprint]. But money also makes it possible to make more sustainable purchases—such as electric cars, better-insulated homes, and furniture and equipment that last longer—so that, in the end, even if an increase in income does not lead to a smaller carbon footprint, it appears to reduce the carbon footprint per euro spent.
In addition to this difference in financial resources, there is also the issue of available time. Environmentally responsible behaviors, such as using public transportation or sorting waste, require time—a resource that people over 60 have more of (due both to retirement and the absence of young children at home). Thus, older adults often engage in more environmentally responsible behaviors because they have greater capacity to do so.
"Generativity" at the Heart of Engagement
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 get older, their concern for the future of subsequent generations grows.
This is what psychologists call “generativity”—that is, according to the American psychoanalyst [Eric Erikson], “the concern for establishing and guiding future generations.”
This motivation goes hand in hand with more environmentally friendly consumption choices and also seems to explain the strong presence of 55- to 75-year-olds among volunteers working in nonprofit organizations. Finally, this sense of generativity accounts for many initiatives undertaken by older adults that directly benefit the environment.
People in their 70s alongside XR activists
Alongside the young people from Youth for Climate and Extinction Rebellion (XR), we’re seeing more and more people in their seventies who don’t hesitate to lie down on the ground to protest against oil companies.
In practice, older adults’ civic engagement on environmental issues can take various forms, as illustrated by the examples of initiatives carried out by organizations belonging to the “Grandparents for the Climate” network .
In the United Kingdom, lobbying of members of Parliament and businesses is common; in Belgium, the organization is known for its campaign to redirect savings toward sustainable projects or “green” investments. In France, the Grandparents for Climate organization places greater emphasis on educational initiatives and the fight against waste.
Intergenerational Support
The generational differences mentioned above mask significant disparities within each generation and reflect two quite distinct trends. On the one hand , as people age, they “spontaneously” consume less at age 75 than at age 50 because they opt for a more “home-centered” lifestyle. On the other hand, as a recent ADEME study suggests , older generations are more inclined toward frugality because they have lived through less prosperous times and have retained “anti-waste” habits.
In a way, older people can teach younger people to adopt more frugal lifestyles, even though the younger generation is often more aware of the need to take action. Beyond education, older adults can help younger generations through the means at their disposal , particularly by saving money and donating to nonprofit organizations.
Finally, older adults themselves are changing their habits. In the United States, for example, the proportion of people over 65 among solar panel buyers has been rising significantly since 2010.
The stereotype of older adults as polluters who are reluctant to embrace change can therefore evolve and should not overshadow the growing importance of environmental issues for older adults—and, above all, their central role in the fight against global warming.
Najoua Tahri, Associate Professor of Management Sciences, IAE Montpellier and MRM, University of Montpellier; Jacques Igalens, Professor of Management Sciences, IAE Toulouse and CRM-CNRS; and Ziad Malas, Associate Professor of Management Sciences, University of Toulouse III – Paul Sabatier
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Readthe original article.