Do Climate Change Policies Promote or Conflict with Subjective Wellbeing: A Case Study of Suzhou, China

Abstract

As public expectations for health rise, health measurements broaden from a focus on death, disease, and disability to wellbeing. However, wellbeing hasn’t been incorporated into the framework of climate change policy decision-making in Chinese cities. Based on survey data (n = 763) from Suzhou, this study used Generalized Estimation Equation approach to model external conditions associated with wellbeing. Then, semi-quantitative analyses were conducted to provide a first indication to whether local climate change policies promote or conflict with wellbeing through altering these conditions. Our findings suggested: (i) Socio-demographic (age, job satisfaction, health), psychosocial (satisfaction with social life, ontological security/resilience) and environmental conditions (distance to busy road, noise annoyance and range hoods in the kitchen) were significantly associated with wellbeing; (ii) None of existing climate change strategies in Suzhou conflict with wellbeing. Three mitigation policies (promotion of tertiary and high–tech industry, increased renewable energy in buildings, and restrictions on car use) and one adaption policy (increasing resilience) brought positive co–benefits for wellbeing, through the availability of high-satisfied jobs, reduced dependence on range hoods, noise reduction, and valuing citizens, respectively. This study also provided implications for other similar Chinese cities that potential consequences of climate change interventions for wellbeing should be considered.

City scale climate change policies: Do they matter for wellbeing?

“…This scale has been translated into many languages and successfully statistically validated in a variety of populations (Liu et al, 2016) and used in the European Quality of Life Survey (EQLS) (Eurofound, 2012), which made it possible to compare this study with international studies in the future. A score was derived in the standard manner (Psychiatric Research Unit at the Medical Health Centre North Zealand, 2013) with a higher score indicating higher wellbeing.…”

“…Relevant questions from the European Quality of Life Surveys (EQLS) (Eurofound, 2012), WHO LARES study on European housing and health (WHO Regional Office for Europe, 2007) and an earlier URGENCHE wellbeing survey carried out in Suzhou, China (Liu et al, 2016) were collated and in some instances modified. In addition there were some additional questions designed especially for this survey.…”

“…We approached resilience chiefly through the concept of ontological security: a long term sense of feeling secure in oneself which allows oneself to deal with life's challenges (Giddens, 1991, Kearns et al, 2000, Liu et al, 2016) given that climate change is likely to present significant challenges. Ontological security was measured through a modified form of the validated psychosocial benefits from home scale (Kearns et al, 2000) to apply to wider aspects of people's lives which has been used in the sister survey in Suzhou (China) (Liu et al, 2016) and a study of smokers attempting to cope with the challenge of quitting smoking (Dobbie et al, 2015).…”

“…Ontological security was measured through a modified form of the validated psychosocial benefits from home scale (Kearns et al, 2000) to apply to wider aspects of people's lives which has been used in the sister survey in Suzhou (China) (Liu et al, 2016) and a study of smokers attempting to cope with the challenge of quitting smoking (Dobbie et al, 2015). The ten items are intended to measure psychosocial feelings which may connect wellbeing to external factors through feelings of protection, control and prestige (Hiscock et al, 2001).…”

“…These policies, if enacted, will lead to changes in living conditions which have wellbeing implications (Hiscock et al, 2014, Liu et al, 2016, Sabel et al, 2016). Increasing a building's energy efficiency and wood burning for domestic heating have implications for the following living conditions which have generally been found to associated with wellbeing: damp (Blackman et al, 2001, Butler et al, 2003, Evans et al, 2000, Hyndman, 1990, Packer et al, 1994, Shenassa et al, 2007, WHO Regional Office for Europe, 2007), thermal comfort (Blackman et al, 2001, Butler et al, 2003, Evans et al, 2000, Hopton and Hunt, 1996, Hyndman, 1990) and indoor air quality (Guite et al, 2006) have been associated with depression and other measures of mental health.…”