Population Aging and Future Carbon Emissions in the United States

Changes in the age composition of U.S. households over the next several decades could affect energy use and carbon dioxide emissions. this article incorporates population age structure into and energy-economic growth model with multiple dynasties of heterogenous households. The model is used to estimate and compare effects of population aging and technical change on baseline paths of U.S. energy use and emissions. Results show that population aging reduces long-term carbon dioxide emissions, by almost 40% in low population scenario, and effects of aging on emissions can be as large, or larger than effects of technical change in some cases.

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