Examining factors driving household carbon emissions from elderly families—Evidence from Japan

Abstract

Household carbon emissions (HCEs) are playing an increasingly important role in driving climate change in Japan, a country characterized by population aging, considering older adults’ less environmentally friendly behaviors. We investigate the driving force of HCEs from elderly households using the logarithmic mean divisia index model and a microlevel household dataset. Furthermore, we decompose the change in HCEs generated by elderly families from 2017 to 2021 into four factors, primarily from the perspective of residents’ energy behavior. The results imply that energy consumption per elderly household is the leading determinant explaining the increase in HCEs, followed by energy structure and number of elderly households, whereas the carbon emission coefficient is responsible for diminishing HCEs. Our evidence suggests making interventions to enhance elderly residents’ environmental behaviors and making improvements in energy quality and technology in the power generation process.