HouseholdconsumptionisoneoftheimportantfactorsthatinduceCO2emission.Basedoninput-outputmodel,thisarticlecalculatedtheintensityofCO2emissionofdifferentincomegroupsandsevenprovincesinChina,andthenestimatedtotalCO2emissioninducedbyurbanhouseholdconsumptionfrom1995to2004inChinabasedonstatisticdataofhouseholdlivingexpenditure.TheresultsshowthatCO2emissionpercapitainducedbyhouseholdconsumptionhadincreasedfrom1583to2498kgCO2during1995-2004.Theratioofconsumption-inducedCO2emissiontototalCO2emissionhadrisenfrom19%to30%inthepastdecade.IndirectCO2emissionaccountedforanimportantpartoftheconsumption-inducedemission,theratioofindirectemissiontoconsumption-inducedemissionhadrisenfrom69%to79%duringthesameperiod.Asignificantdifferenceinconsumption-inducedCO2emissionacrossdifferentincomegroupsanddifferentregionshasbeenobserved.CO2emissionpercapitaofhigherincomegroupsanddevelopedregionsincreasedfasterthanthatoflowerincomegroupsanddevelopingregions.ChanginglifestylehasdrivensignificantincreaseinCO2emission.Especially,increasesinprivatetransportexpenditure(forexample,vehicleexpenditure)andhousebuildingexpenditurearekeydrivingfactorsofgrowthinconsumption-inducedCO2emission.TherearebigdifferencesintheamountofCO2emissioninducedbychangeinlifestyleacrossdifferentincomegroupsandprovinces.Itcanbeexpectedthatlowerincomehouseholdsanddevelopingregionswillincreaseconsumptiontoimprovetheirlivingswithincomegrowthinthefuture,whichmayinducemuchmoreCO2emission.AreasonablelevelofCO2emissionisnecessarytosatisfyhumanneedsandtoimprovelivingstandard,butanoticeablefactisthatCO2emissionpercapitainducedbyhouseholdconsumptionindevelopedareasofChinahadreachedaquitehighlevel.Adjustmentinlifestyletowardsalow-carbonsocietyisinurgentneed.
