In this blog, the ILC Global Alliance Climate Change Committee co-chairs share more about the aims and activities of the committee.

As many of our network will know, ILC UK is part of a Global Alliance of 16 ILCs around the world; this network helps societies begin to address longevity and ageing in positive and constructive ways. Changing policy and practice across the life course will help us to collectively unlock the opportunities of longer lives, instead of seeing ageing as a challenge and burden.

Under the auspices of the Global Alliance there are several Committees bringing together different ILC colleagues on different topics relating to longevity. This includes the Climate Change Committee which is co-chaired by ILC UK’s Esther and Paul. The Global Alliance Climate Change Committee has the following aims:

• Highlight and act on opportunities that combine the two agendas of longevity and climate change.
• Build understanding of how climate change and longevity overlap, presenting them as interconnected and indivisible long-term mega-trends.
• Expand networks, spark discussion, and drive policy change that will help us adapt and respond to longer lives and the climate crisis.

This begins with building a consensus that longevity and climate change are interrelated. Neither fit neatly into 4- or 5-year political cycles, yet both require a cohesive and joined-up response to unlock the opportunities of longer lives and build more sustainable societies. Advocates for action on longevity and on the climate crisis often have similar objectives and visions the kind of societies we want to live in, but too often work in siloes to reach those goals. This Committee has begun to tap into both networks and develop a joined-up approach towards longer lives lived more sustainably.

In October 2024, the Committee held a webinar discussion to set out the key areas for action and advocacy where climate action and longevity advocacy overlap. The webinar, which can be viewed here, brought together a range of experts in older people’s advocacy; food security and poverty alleviation; pensions and financial services; and the interplay between planetary and public health. The presentations and discussion made clear that climate and longevity advocates have plenty in common:  

Areas for collaboration

• Sustainable lifestyles: preventative health, planet-friendly diets, and an emphasis on active travel will have advantages for both environmental and public health.
• Reimagining our built environment: in the most polluting societies, it is too easy to default to environmentally damaging ways of living: particularly a reliance on fossil fuels. There are ways to reshape our physical and social environments to promote connection and prioritise sustainability.
• Intergenerational connection: too often, media coverage of longevity and the climate crisis pit young and old against each other. This misrepresents both issues as a zero-sum game and undermines the debate.
• Inequalities at all levels: disparities in health outcomes exist all over the world, and socioeconomic background is a common thread. Communities in the so-called ‘global South’ are bearing the brunt of climate change and extreme, largely due to polluting activities by wealthier countries. These injustices are entrenched, and collaborative efforts are urgently needed to level the playing field.

What did COP29 mean for longevity and climate?

The success of the COP29 summit in Azerbaijan was hamstrung by the non-attendance of the top three largest emitters: China, the USA, and India. Importantly a new climate finance goal was agreed, which will go some way to support low-income countries to protect against the worst of extreme weather, and take up some opportunities for generating greener energy.

“[The new finance goal] will keep the clean energy boom growing, helping all countries to share in its huge benefits: more jobs, stronger growth, cheaper and cleaner energy for all.” So said Simon Stiell, Executive Secretary of UN Climate Change.

Adaptation to climate change was a key outcome of the summit. A High-Level Dialogue on National Adaption Plans convened low-income countries and small island states, concluding with a clear call to action to governments to prioritise their Adaptation Plans and ensure they lead to tangible progress in each country. Many adaptations for sustainability have added benefits of supporting better ageing – low-income and island states are the first to take steps on adapting to extreme weather. Other governments might consider how their plans for net-zero and other climate targets also support adaptation to longer lives.

Opinion is already divided on whether COP summits lead to significant change on the climate crisis, and whether countries with means and influence are doing enough on behalf of those without.

Might a similar global platform move the needle on longevity, placing it on the global agenda and demanding action from governments around the world?

Get involved

The Global Alliance Climate Change Committee exists to bring together advocates and experts in both climate and longevity issues. To get involved and hear more about our work, please reach out to committee co-chairs Esther (esthermcnamara@ilcuk.org.uk) and Paul (paulgoulden@ilcuk.org.uk).