When it comes to climate change, the interests of the young and the old seemingly stand diametrically opposed to one another. But does this oft-cited generational conflict truly exist? Or can our shared responsibility for the future be used to build new bridges? In today’s edition, we explore these questions by looking at three recent studies.
Which questions do the studies address?
To understand the potential conflicts between young and old regarding climate change, as well as the opportunities for intergenerational cooperation, we are looking at two scientific reviews and a recent survey from Germany:
Ayalon et al. (2025) summarize the current state of research on generational conflicts, with a particular focus on the perspective of older people.
Law et al. (2025) investigate how intergenerational approaches can be strategically used to strengthen engagement in climate action.
Additionally, we draw on data from the German Centre of Gerontology (Bünning et al., 2024), which sheds light on the perceptions and attitudes of older people in Germany.
Which methodology was used, and why is it reliable?
Both scientific studies are so-called review studies. While Ayalon et al. (2025) document a systematic approach to their literature search—making the results particularly transparent and reproducible—Law et al. (2025) identify relevant publications based on their established professional expertise.
Since both works have undergone the peer-review process standard in academic journals, the quality of the argumentation and methodology is assured. The supplementary survey by Bünning et al. (2024) also provides a solid empirical database for the situation in Germany.
What are the key findings, and why are they relevant for climate communication?
The review of 20 studies by Ayalon et al. (2025) shows that there is indeed potential for conflict and prejudice. While younger people sometimes believe that the “older generation does not understand the scientific findings on climate change or its seriousness” (p. 948), older people can react defensively. They de-legitimize climate protests and call on the young to “go back to school” (occasionally referring to a “climate cult”). In fact, young people are underrepresented in many political decisions—for example, only barely 5% of members of the German Bundestag are under 30.
Despite differences in lifestyle—which tend to be more resource-intensive among older people—research suggests that the differences between the young and old in terms of environmental awareness and environment-related values are marginal (Ayalon et al., 2025). What is more decisive is how public opinion on the subject changes over time across generations.
In Germany, people of middle and older age view climate change even as more threatening than the Coronavirus pandemic (Bünning et al., 2024). Incidentally, whether someone has children of their own hardly plays any role in perception of this risk.
Nonetheless, media frequently report on the alleged generational conflict. According to Dr. Mike Farjam (University of Hamburg), this is “an accessible narrative that the media and the public can use to make the social dimension of climate change understandable”—even if there is no reliable data on how strongly the media emphasize this narrative.
Climate change as an intergenerational challenge
A central finding of Law et al. (2025) is the human capacity for “mental time travel.” When we are prompted to think actively about the future, it strengthens our sense of responsibility towards future generations and thus our environmental awareness.
Particularly noteworthy is that “framing” climate change as an intergenerational challenge—i.e., emphasizing this aspect of the topic—works across the political spectrum, according to the authors. On the one hand, it appeals to a sense of justice (a progressive value). On the other hand, it touches on themes such as family, legacy, and the preservation of creation (conservative values).
Several studies also emphasize what intergenerational solidarity can achieve (Law et al., 2025): When older people participate in a climate movement, this can “strengthen positive relationships between generations, improve the status of older people, and is good for the climate.” The group “Raging Grannies,” who actively participated in protests led by younger activists, is an often-cited example of this.
What can be derived from the study for practical application?
For Older People
Research shows that the engagement of older people (such as the “Raging Grannies”) not only protects the climate but also strengthens the reputation of their own generation among the young. Instead of feeling provoked by youth protests, older people can act as a kind of “anchor of legitimacy,” translating more radical demands into the societal mainstream.
Even if one’s own lifestyle was and is often more resource-intensive, studies such as those by Bünning et al. (2024) demonstrate that awareness of the threat posed by climate impacts is high. Older people can use this awareness to advocate for climate protection within their networks as an act of intergenerational solidarity—regardless of whether they have their own grandchildren or not.
For Younger People
Hendrik Meyer, whose research focus at the University of Hamburg is climate protests and their perception, notes: “It seems that the protests of recent years have not succeeded in strengthening the intergenerational aspects of the problem in public consciousness. They were interpreted more as selfish actions of today’s youth. Thus, the very complex, long-term concept of intergenerational justice often seems to be reduced to ‘Old vs. Young’ in public debates.”
Younger people should perhaps be cautious about emphasizing generational conflict. Instead, they should increasingly use narratives that also appeal to conservative values (and thus many older people), such as the opportunity to leave a positive legacy, doing something for the future of one’s own descendants, or, possibly even using a Christian framing such as “preserving creation.” This could reach people who might otherwise be skeptical of youth activists’ concerns.
An exchange at eye level also means taking older people seriously as a source of knowledge—for example, through conversations about environmental awareness in the past, such as during the time of the “Waldsterben” (forest dieback) or the anti-nuclear movement. This breaks down prejudices and prevents older people from feeling de-legitimized and falling into a defensive stance (the “go back to school” mentality).
For the Media
The generational conflict is an accessible narrative, but it often distorts the actual data. Since the differences in values between young and old are marginal, the media should report more often on commonalities and successful intergenerational alliances instead of sharpening artificial fronts.
Media can enable “mental time travel” by making the long-term consequences of today’s actions tangible. This can be done quite simply by asking readers or viewers to mentally transport themselves to the year 2050 and consider what challenges will be current then. University-led “Future Thinking” seminars on climate change also provide interesting opportunities for reporting.
At the same time, the role of institutions should be emphasized. As Louisa Pröschel from the University of Hamburg highlights, structural conditions must not be lost sight of: “While individual actions, such as one’s own consumption patterns, play a role in socio-ecological transformations, it is also necessary to discuss which political and economic framework conditions are required for this.”
Further reading
Law, K. F., Colaizzi, G., & Syropoulos, S. (2025). Climate change is an intergenerational challenge that requires intergenerationally focused behavioral solutions. Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences, 61, 101467. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cobeha.2024.101467
Ayalon, L., Roy, S., Aloni, O., & Keating, N. (2023). A Scoping Review of Research on Older People and Intergenerational Relations in the Context of Climate Change. The Gerontologist, 63(5), 945–958. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnac028
Bünning, M., Hagen, C., & Simonson, J. (2024). Wahrgenommene Bedrohung durch den Klimawandel in der zweiten Lebenshälfte (DZA Aktuell 01/2024). Berlin: Deutsches Zentrum für Altersfragen.