Act on climate change

The #GreyAndGreen Manifesto

With this Manifesto, we are committing to putting older people at the forefront of climate solutions.

Few understand better the impact of the climate catastrophe than older people. Surviving cycles of droughts, floods, vicious summers and cruel winters, older people have honed their skills over decades. In villages and communities, they are relied on to read the weather and plant or prepare accordingly; to know where safe water and higher ground can be found. Yet older people are often absent from the climate debate: their skills and know-how are side-lined; their rich experience ignored.

Through our #GreyAndGreen manifesto, we pledge to change that. Along with members of the HelpAge global network, we can unite and galvanise the thousands of older people who are among the great fighters and solvers of this crisis. We can champion their unique abilities and vast experience and together, we can act as a catalyst for action for older people everywhere.

Our climate commitment

Working with network members and partners, HelpAge has been supporting older people affected by humanitarian emergencies, like natural disasters since the day the organisation was born. Making sure older people get help when needed and can affect change is a big part of why we exist.

As the climate crisis intensifies, we pledge to continue to take action to confront this emergency, with these four commitments:

1. We’re showing the world how older people are tackling the climate crisis. We’re challenging assumptions about older people and telling the real stories of community leaders, everyday individuals and older people’s associations who care about climate change and are taking action.
2. When natural disasters hit, we make sure older people are included in the response. There is often a disproportionate impact of natural disasters and climatic stresses on older people – and yet their needs are often overlooked. We work with governments and organisations to make sure older people’s voices are heard, and support is there to help them rebuild their lives and move forward.
3. We’re bringing younger and older together to prevent and adapt to disasters. By involving older people in climate initiatives, communities enrich their knowledge, become more resilient and reduce the impact of the climate crisis.
4. We’re reducing our carbon footprint. Leading by example means taking new ambitious measures to reduce our impact on the environment. By limiting air travel and changing the way we work, we are committing to reducing our carbon emissions by at least 50% by 2030.