Impact of population ageing on carbon emissions: A case of China's urban households.

• The impact of ageing on carbon emissions in the whole economic system is explored. • Household consumption pattern of different age groups is depicted in detail. • The change of population age structure had led to a decline in carbon emissions. • The impact of ageing on carbon emissions had obvious regional heterogeneity. Ageing can have a considerable ripple effect on carbon emission by affecting production and consumption of economic system. Based on an input-output structural decomposition analysis, this study analyses the impact of ageing on urban residents' carbon emissions in China from 2002 to 2007 and 2007 to 2012, and explores the regional heterogeneity and temporal uncertainty of the impact. At the national level, older adults slowed the growth of direct carbon emissions in both periods, because their per capita energy consumption fell more in the first period, then switched from coal to gas and electricity consumption. They contributed less to the growth of indirect carbon emissions in both periods due to the minimum increase in their per capita consumption among all age groups. Moreover, the impact of ageing on carbon emissions had clear regional heterogeneity. This study is beneficial to provide suggestions regarding carbon emission reduction and adapting to demographic changes. Ageing; Household consumption; Carbon emissions; Input-output; Structural decomposition analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]