Abstract
Working actively and prudently toward carbon peaking and carbon neutrality requires preventing and resolving challenges that internal and external risks bring to the green transition. At present, carbon inequality among different consumer groups has drawn attention. Such inequality may undermine morale among the general population and hurt the emissions reduction cause. Using scientific methods, this paper studies the current state of consumption-side carbon equality in China and what challenges the country might face in achieving it. The study finds that serious consumption-side carbon inequality exists in China, where the per capita carbon footprint of the high-income group is as large as or even larger than that of some developed countries. In addition, China faces multiple challenges, such as rising carbon consumption demand among the upper-middle-income group and the risks of carbon emissions increases associated with new types of consumer demand. There are also newer challenges in areas such as new green consumption scenarios, the consumption environment, and spending power. Looking ahead to the 15th Five-Year Plan period, China should place a premium on consumption-side carbon equality, optimize the green consumption environment at different levels and for different categories, build a market mechanism for enhancing the capacity for green consumption at different levels, design safety-net policies, and facilitate forward-looking initiatives and responses in relation to consumption-side carbon equality.