Greening The Greys

This report analyzes the carbon footprints and attitudes toward climate change of individuals aged 50 and over in the UK, dividing them into baby boomers (50-64), seniors (65-74), and elders (75+). It finds that baby boomers have the highest overall carbon footprint due to high spending on travel and consumption, while elders have the highest climate impact per pound spent due to carbon-intensive home heating. While the over 50s generally express fear and motivation regarding climate change, they report frustration with barriers to low-carbon living and believe the UK government and businesses must provide stronger leadership.

• Baby boomers (aged 50-64) have the highest carbon footprint in the UK of any age group, emitting 13.52 tonnes of carbon dioxide per capita per year, which is 1.5 to 2.5 tonnes more than other age groups. This is primarily driven by high spending, specifically in travel (2.51 tonnes), eating and drinking (1.03 tonnes), and consumables (1.69 tonnes).
• Seniors (aged 65-74) have the second highest carbon footprint at 12.10 tonnes of carbon dioxide per capita per year. While their emissions for consumables, services, travel, and food are below the national average, their home and energy emissions are 33 per cent higher than the national average, totaling 4.13 tonnes per capita per year.
• Elders (aged 75+) have a carbon footprint of 11.10 tonnes of CO2 per capita per year. This group has the highest climate impact per pound spent of all age groups because carbon-intensive home heating represents 40 per cent of their footprint. Conversely, they are the least car dependent of the over 50s, emitting 0.53 tonnes of CO2 per capita per year on travel.
• A survey of over 700 people in North Yorkshire indicates that the over 50s are generally fearful of climate change, with 53.7 per cent describing themselves as "fearful" and 75 per cent believing the planet is already experiencing its consequences. There is a strong belief (82% of those with grandchildren) that the climate problems faced by their grandchildren will worsen.
• The understanding of climate change among the over 50s is often limited to weather patterns, with less concern for impacts on human health (28%). While 72% feel motivated and 80% believe they should personally take action, many feel frustrated by barriers to a low-carbon lifestyle, such as the cost and convenience of public transport and the long payback periods for home energy efficiency investments.
• There is a strong consensus among the over 50s that institutional leadership is required; 90 per cent believe the UK government should take action to reduce climate change impacts, and 86.5 per cent believe industry and business should do the same.

APA

Haq, G., Minx, J., Whitelegg, J., & Owen, A. (2007). Greening The Greys. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Future/ClimateChangeandOver50s.pdf

Chicago

Haq, Gary, Jan Minx, John Whitelegg, and Anne Owen. Greening The Greys. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2007. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Future/ClimateChangeandOver50s.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Haq |first1=Gary |last2=Minx |first2=Jan |last3=Whitelegg |first3=John |last4=Owen |first4=Anne |title=Greening The Greys |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=February 2007 |url=https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Future/ClimateChangeandOver50s.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{haq2007greening, author = {Haq, Gary and Minx, Jan and Whitelegg, John and Owen, Anne}, title = {{Greening The Greys}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2007}, month = feb, url = {https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Future/ClimateChangeandOver50s.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }