Engaging older people in net-zero. Older Chinese migrants as an example

Abstract

As the UK government accelerates its net zero emissions target, gaps remain in the participation of older people, particularly those from ethnic minority communities, in the low-carbon transition. Older people account for a significant portion of household energy use but are often overlooked; older immigrants also face language, cultural, and digital barriers that further prevent them from participating in such public discourse. This research, focusing on older Chinese migrants in the UK, employs a design-oriented, exploratory, and constructivist approach to examine their low-carbon practices, perspectives on the UK's net-zero agenda, and preferred climate communication models. It also incorporates comparative insights from local older people in the UK to foreground cultural and contextual contrasts, as well as designer workshops to deepen understanding of climate interventions. Guided by the Design Research Methodology (DRM), the project comprised seven interrelated studies (A-G) spanning exploration, description, prescription, and evaluation phases. A range of methods were used, including surveys and interviews; walking interviews; co-design workshops; focus group; and designer workshops. Through the design intervention research, a bilingual visual climate education toolkit and policy brief were produced. The evaluation method employed observation and questionnaires, informed by the Kirkpatrick model. This study synthesises practice theory, ageing and migration research, and theories of behaviour change. The findings indicate that older adults’ sustainable behaviours are rooted in cultural values of thriftiness and caring; they are often excluded from formal climate narratives. Older people generally perceive net zero as abstract and technical; language/institutional access can play a key role. Visual, bilingual, and interactive/gamified design tools can make abstract concepts concrete, evoke personal stories, enable intergenerational and cross-cultural dialogue, and enhance understanding and self-efficacy. Based on this, this paper proposes a multi-level engagement strategy from individual → family → community → society/policy. Contributions to knowledge include: (1) rich qualitative and visual evidence of the daily low-carbon practices of older Chinese migrants; (2) identification of barriers and facilitators to cross-cultural and intergenerational climate communication using culturally sensitive design tools and interventions; and (3) actionable recommendations for policymakers, businesses, and communities to translate lived experiences into potential improvements in services and systems to achieve more equitable and culturally aware net zero strategies.