Off-farm employment and household clean energy transition in rural China: A study based on a gender perspective

Abstract

Although numerous studies in developing countries have increasingly focused on the important implications of off-farm employment for the success of rural energy transition, it is easy to ignore the fact that determining who to employ in off-farm sectors can impact household energy transition decisions differently. Based on the nationally representative data from the Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS) 2015 survey, this study tries to fill the gap and examines the interaction between off-farm employment decisions between couples and household clean energy consumption in rural China by providing a new view towards gender. The results show that two-paycheck households consume more clean energy than other household types. Off-farm employment of women is a key factor driving the household clean energy consumption to a higher level, and wage-employed wives contribute more to these decisions than self-employed ones.