Towards a greener aging society: A dynamic and multilevel analysis of consumption carbon emissions among China's aging population

Abstract

Climate change and population aging are inevitably the two most significant global challenges. Senior population growth in China is accompanied by an increase in consumption-induced carbon emissions (CCEs). The study's contribution of a deeper understanding of the intertemporal relationship between senior characteristics and multi-category CCEs provides the theoretical foundation for the formulation of mitigation strategies. This study utilizes panel data obtained from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) surveys in 2013, 2015, and 2018 to compute the per capita CCEs for elderly adults across eight major consumption categories. It also exposes the dynamic influences of individual characteristics on CCEs by estimating the mixed effects model. Based on the findings, accommodation, transportation and communication, and food comprise the top three categories of CCEs. Furthermore, seniors’ consumption preferences have gradually drifted from basic necessities to pleasurable experiences and healthcare services. Notably, seniors’ characteristics (e.g., income, health, education, marital status, residential type, and the degree of urbanization) exert distinctively dynamic impacts on each type of CCEs over time. In pursuit of a greener aging society, this study proposes various implementation strategies for mitigating CCEs among different actors (the government, community, manufacturers, and older individuals) in light of the captured intricate mechanism.