Public Awareness, Lifestyle and Low-Carbon City Transformation in China: A Systematic Literature Review

Yan Wu (), Pim Martens and Thomas Krafft
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Yan Wu: Department of Health, Ethics & Society, CAPHRI Care and Public Health Research Institute, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands
Pim Martens: University College Venlo, Maastricht University, Nassaustraat 36, 5911 BV Venlo, The Netherlands
Thomas Krafft: Department of Health, Ethics & Society, CAPHRI Care and Public Health Research Institute, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 16, 1-22

Abstract: Low-carbon city transformation is an important action area of China’s 14th Five-Year Plan (2021–2025) that aims to reach peak CO 2 emissions by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060. Responding to global climate change is not only a national responsibility but also an individual responsibility and very much depends on societal participation and acceptance. While many scholars argue that public participation would be critical to low-carbon cities developing in China, there is apparently a lack of sufficient research on the level of public participation. This systematic review aims to summarize the current related research about public awareness on low-carbon city transformation in China, and learn about the challenges and barriers of public attitude and behaviour towards the low-carbon lifestyle. This study reveals that: (1) although most scholars discussed the conception and policies of low-carbon cities, research methods, the theoretical foundation and the number of cities targeted for research are limited; (2) a public’s attention to low-carbon cities mainly focus on a low-carbon life, and there is a clear gap between low-carbon awareness and behaviour; and (3) although scholars had different opinions about the factors that affect low-carbon behaviour, most of them agree that education and government policy have an influence on the populations’ low-carbon behaviour in China.

Keywords: systematic literature review; public awareness and behaviour; barrier; education; lifestyle; low-carbon city; climate change; China (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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