Towards an Ethical Approach to Climate Change and its Health Risks for older adults.

This article focuses on the ethical considerations of climate change impacts on older adults, emphasizing the application of a care-ethic framework to guide public health and policy responses. It highlights that older adults are disproportionately vulnerable to climate-related risks such as heat waves, natural disasters, and social isolation, and argues for an ethical approach based on the care ethics developed by Carol Gilligan, Joan Tronto, and others. Using case studies from New Zealand and Italy, the article illustrates how care ethics—comprising phases of caring about, caring for, caregiving, care receiving, and caring with—can inform community and governmental actions to protect older adults while fostering collective responsibility and social solidarity. The authors advocate for integrating care as a core value in climate adaptation policies to address vulnerabilities in aging populations and promote justice and relationality in decision-making.