This is an additional challenge for climate policies in a context of aging of the European population… The CO2 emissions of each individual increase with age, according to a study on the European Union and published this Wednesday, September 27, by INED.
“The share of emissions attributable to elderly people will increase in the years to come because they emit more and will be more numerous,” underline the authors of this study, entitled “How does demography influence climate change? The case of ‘Europe”.
Climate neutrality in 2050
This work published by the National Institute of Demographic Studies (INED) analyzes the relationships between demography and climate change, particularly in the EU, which is committed to achieving climate neutrality in 2050. “Our results reveal the determining effect of age: individual emissions are higher at older ages”, write the three authors of the study.
At the household level, CO2 emissions increase with the age of the reference person, “reaching a peak between 45 and 49 years”, then gradually decreasing. On the other hand, when emissions are estimated individually, the peak of emissions shifts towards older ages, around 75 years.
Older people contribute more to emissions, “because they live in small households and concentrate their spending on carbon-intensive goods”, such as heating, note the authors.
The income of city dwellers singled out
This trend will not necessarily lead to a significant increase in emissions, but it highlights “the importance for public policies to take into account inequalities between generations”. Another factor to take into account in climate policies is place of residence.
Thus in urban areas, the small size of housing and the development of public transport contribute to reducing household emissions, but conversely the income of city dwellers, often higher, encourages consumption and therefore their emissions. Ultimately, urbanization should therefore both “slow down” and “stimulate” climate change, according to INED.