Abstract
Against the backdrop of increasing consumption-based carbon emissions, mitigating household carbon emissions is crucial for achieving China's carbon reduction goals. This study investigates the impact of the household singlehood rate on per capita carbon emissions from a consumption-based perspective. Utilizing panel data from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) encompassing 63,412 households from 2010 to 2022, our analysis demonstrates that a rising singlehood rate significantly increases per capita carbon emissions, with a baseline impact coefficient of 0.244. The impact is channeled through three mechanisms: diminished economies of scale in household public goods, insufficient sharing of domestic energy, and increased per capita consumption driven by convenience-seeking behaviors. Heterogeneity analyses uncover systematic disparities: the effect is strongest for males, rural dwellers, the youth, high-income earners and high-education singlehood households. Based on these insights, we propose targeted policy recommendations focused on leveraging learning curves, intervening at sensitive points, and implementing personal carbon budgets to systematically guide and incentivize lowcarbon transitions among the singlehood population.
NETL
NSTL
Elsevier