Growing Old in a Changing Climate

The report examines how climate change disproportionately affects older people in the UK, highlighting their physical, financial, and emotional vulnerabilities. It analyzes the carbon footprints of different age groups, the risks of extreme weather on health and housing, and the barriers to energy efficiency. The document concludes with recommendations for a coordinated national policy framework focusing on risk assessment, home retrofitting, and improved local accessibility.

• Older people in the UK are more vulnerable to climate change due to reduced capacities for independent coping and heightened exposure to threats, compounded by physical, financial, and emotional fragility.
• Carbon footprints vary by age group: 'baby boomers' (50-64) have the highest average footprint at approximately 13.5 tonnes of CO2 per year, while 'elders' (75+) have the highest climate impact per pound spent because home heating represents 40 per cent of their footprint.
• Poor energy efficiency in UK homes contributes to high winter mortality among older people; in 2005, approximately 1.5 million homes with residents over 65 lacked adequate insulation and heating.
• Extreme heat poses a severe risk to the elderly, particularly women aged 75-plus and those with chronic illnesses; the 2003 European heatwave caused an estimated 14,802 deaths in France and 2,139 excess deaths in England and Wales.
• Climate change threatens the independence of older people by disrupting transport networks and increasing the cost of living, which is particularly problematic for those on fixed incomes.
• Personal carbon trading is identified as a potentially socially progressive mechanism that could redistribute resources from carbon-rich groups to carbon-poor older people, though its success depends on protecting disadvantaged groups.
• The report recommends that the UK government establish an 'Older People and Climate Change Group' to develop a cross-sectoral national policy framework.
• A major national investment programme is needed to retrofit the homes of retirement-age people to the highest energy efficiency standards to tackle fuel poverty and reduce CO2 emissions.

APA

Haq, G., Whitelegg, J., & Kohler, M. (2008). Growing Old in a Changing Climate. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Climate/climate_change_growing_old.pdf

Chicago

Haq, Gary, John Whitelegg, and Mervyn Kohler. Growing Old in a Changing Climate. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2008. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Climate/climate_change_growing_old.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Haq |first1=Gary |last2=Whitelegg |first2=John |last3=Kohler |first3=Mervyn |title=Growing Old in a Changing Climate |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=August 2008 |url=https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Climate/climate_change_growing_old.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{haq2008growing, author = {Haq, Gary and Whitelegg, John and Kohler, Mervyn}, title = {{Growing Old in a Changing Climate}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2008}, month = aug, url = {https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Climate/climate_change_growing_old.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }