Household carbon footprints inequality in China: Drivers, components and dynamics

Abstract

The significant achievements in economic growth and urbanization in China have recently led to substantial increases of and great inequality in household carbon footprints (HCFs). To achieve efficiency and justice in emissions reduction, policymakers need to fully understand the sources of HCFs and identify the major causes of carbon inequality. By applying the Unconditional Quantile Regression (UQR) model and decomposition method to the Chinese household survey data, this paper investigates the distributional features of HCFs and their determinants. We find that HCFs are unevenly distributed due to differences in the volume and pattern of consumption, which are further determined by household characteristics and lifestyles. The intertemporal lifestyle changes have played a major role in the rise of HCFs inequality measured by various quantile emissions differentials. In addition, considerable increases in HCFs come from the high carbon emission groups, and most of the HCFs inequality stems from the 90–50 emissions differential. To transform the current carbon-intensive economy, policies are required to enhance environmental equity and encourage low-carbon lifestyles.