Investigating the adoption of energy-saving measures in residential sector: The contribution to carbon neutrality of China and Europe

China and Europe have both announced plans to be carbon neutral by 2060 and 2050 respectively. In residential sector, energy-saving technologies and behaviours are important measures to achieve carbon neutrality. This study investigated the adoption of technical and behavioural energy-saving measures in Northern China and Western Europe as important paths to achieve carbon neutrality in residential sector. The prevalence of six measures was investigated using a survey, which also enquired about the reasons for the adoption and nonadoption of such measures. The study highlighted remarkable differences in the measures adopted and the reasons for them. People in Northern China were more likely to adopt technical energy-saving measures but less likely to adopt behavioural energy-saving measures than people in Western Europe. Differences in respondents' socio-demographic backgrounds, building details, environmental concerns, or beliefs played a role in the differences observed, but not a great one according to our econometric analysis. Two important reasons for the observed differences were subsidy policies and split incentives due to principal-agent issues between energy companies and energy users. The results showed that the residential sectors in China and Europe are working towards carbon-neutral targets, but in different ways. In Northern China, the direct energy-saving subsidy policy encouraged residents to adopt technical energy-saving measures. In Western Europe, the relatively reasonable energy charging system encouraged people to adopt behavioural energy-saving measures.

Automated summary

China and Europe have different approaches in achieving carbon neutrality in residential sector, with China focusing more on technical energy-saving measures and Europe prioritizing behavioral energy-saving measures. Socio-demographic backgrounds, building details, environmental concerns, and subsidy policies contribute to the observed differences. The results highlight the importance of addressing principal-agent issues between energy companies and users to promote energy-saving behaviors.