Title: Delayed Retirement Policy and Carbon Emissions

Speaker: Mi Zhifu, Professor at University College London, Member of the European Academy of Sciences, 36th President of the China Economics Association in Europe. His research focuses on climate mitigation, integrated assessment models and carbon management, with publications in The Lancet and Nature series journals. He is a Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher, Chief Editor of the SSCI journal Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, and recipient of multiple international academic awards.

Abstract: China is gradually adjusting its retirement policy to cope with population aging. This paper adopts an environment-extended input-output model to calculate carbon footprints of different age groups and evaluate the carbon impact of retirement reforms. Results show that young groups in China generate larger carbon footprints than the elderly, opposite to most developed economies. Delayed retirement expands labor supply and lifts economic output, leading to moderate carbon emission growth, yet it will not hinder China’s carbon neutrality goals. The findings help policymakers better understand the interaction between aging response and climate policies.

Date & time: 26 July 2026, 10:30

Venue: B336, Zhixin Building, Central Campus, SDU