Climate change, older people and the law

Climate change has received considerable attention, given its negative impact on the atmosphere, ocean, biosphere and cryosphere and, more specifically, on our physical health, wellbeing and human rights. Older people are particularly susceptible to the negative impacts of climate change. Nonetheless, it is usually not age alone but age in intersection with other attributes, such as gender or socioeconomic status, that makes older people particularly susceptible to the effects of climate change. Relying on the theory of social justice, this chapter highlights the spatial and temporal characteristics of the phenomenon of climate change by focusing on geographic and cohort/age inequalities. The role of social, economic and political institutions which have failed to ensure adequate protection in the face of climate change extremes is discussed. There is a need for policy measures to ensure older people’s adaptation to climate change extremes and active participation in mitigation efforts.