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How climate change impacts an aging population
FIVE years ago when a heatwave hit France and caused the death of 14,802 mainly elderly people, it set off alarm signals among policy markers around the world that climate change and a progressively aging population will not mix.
Now the Stockholm Environment Institute is hoping to stimulate further debate on the issue by publishing what it believes is the first report that looks specifically at the impact of climate change on the old and what it means for government policy - including transport and planning. In the UK, where the report focuses, 41% of the population will be in their 50s by 2031 - a period when the more extreme aspects of climate change could be beginning to bite.
As the report’s lead author, Dr Gary Haq of Britain’s York University points out this growing percentage of the population also has an intimate connection with climate change. At the domestic level older people are both prime contributors to climate change (see graph above) and on past experience, potentially the first casualties.
"There is an urgent need to exploit synergies between climate change policies and policies aimed at older people, and to avoid duplication and contradiction," Dr Haq says.
"Older people must be part of the solution: we need to make it easier for them to conserve energy, use public transport and maintain crucial social networks that will help them better cope with the effects of a changing climate." As the graph above shows, older people - at least in the UK - have a larger carbon footprint than other age groups. Baby boomers, the 50 to 64 year olds, have the highest carbon footprint of all while people 75 and over make the greatest use of home heating. It represents 40% of their carbon footprint.
The report reveals that for any country with an aging population that hopes to control household greenhouse emissions, the unique behaviour and demands of the aged community cannot be ignored.
The report suggests five actions that could be taken by governments to reduce aged vulnerability to climate change:
- Conduct risk assessments on all future policies to ensure they do not undermine targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and put older people at risk.
- Climate change proof the homes of older people – both new and existing - to increase energy efficiency and tackle fuel poverty.
- Enrich local accessibility to deliver safer, stronger and healthier communities for older people.
- Improve transport for older people to ensure they can maintain independence and connect to friends, family and wider community.
- Establish an "older people and climate change group" to outline a national policy framework to focus and co-ordinate action.
