POPULATION AGING AND CARBON EMISSIONS: A NARRATIVE REVIEW OF INTERCONNECTIONS, IMPACTS AND POLICY IMPLICATIONS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35631/JTHEM.1145048Keywords:
Carbon Emissions, Climate Policy, Demographic Transition, Energy Consumption, Household Carbon Footprint, Narrative Review, Population AgingAbstract
Population aging and climate change are two defining structural transformations of the twenty-first century. But their interrelationship is under-integrated across demographic, environmental, economic and policy scholarship. This article is a narrative review of the literature from 2000 to 2026. It seeks to untangle the effect of change in age structure on carbon emissions and account for the often mixed or contextual results in the literature. The review draws on studies on demographic transition, household consumption, energy use, labour supply, industrial restructuring, mobility and climate governance. The evidence is categorised under four themes: nonlinear and stage-dependent effects of aging; household consumption, residential energy use and mobility; labour supply, industrial restructuring and sectoral transmission; and spatial heterogeneity and demographic–climate policy integration. This synthesis suggests that aging populations are not inherently carbon-reducing or carbon-increasing. Its effects depend on interactions between reduced commuting and slower labour-force growth, changing consumption patterns, smaller household sizes, longer residential occupancy, demand for healthcare, technological change, energy systems and institutional conditions. The review also highlights continuing weaknesses in conceptual integration, sectoral coverage, terminology, measurement and models of policy implementation. Theoretically, it contributes to a more integrated understanding of aging as a structural demographic process operating through interlinked production, consumption and institutional pathways. It also stresses the need to consider age composition in climate projections and to align housing, transport, healthcare, energy, labour and social policies. Future research needs to be comparative, longitudinal, sector-specific, and equity-sensitive to identify the conditions under which aging societies can achieve inclusive low-carbon development.
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