Health Positive Adaptations

Countries across the globe are facing the same poignant challenges posed by unsustainable practices, which have introduced multiple forms of pollution and environmental damage, impacting the health of all. As the global agenda shifts to climate change mitigation, global leaders, including China, focus on policies that address the impact different sources of pollution have on the planet.

For China, a country that has experienced rapid industrialisation and population growth, the challenges are now clearly visible. Transport solutions that move people and goods have grown exponentially to help fuel this economic growth at the cost of public health and wellbeing. With transport being one of the most substantial contributors to pollution, focus of citizens and the government is now on reducing its impact on the health and wellbeing of everyone.

© Javier Quiroga

Driven by the desire for healthier longer lives, attitudes towards mobility solutions are changing

So What’s Driving This Trend?

1. Environmental Health Crisis

Rapid industrialisation90 and population growth have resulted in China becoming one of the most polluted countries globally. The country currently generates around 30% of all global emissions, double that of the US - the secondlargest contributor - with an estimated 13%. As a result, air, noise, water, and soil pollution are widespread, impacting citizens’ health and longevity.

Increasingly Chinese citizens are calling for more to be done as pollutions levels impact their health. This not only impacts everyone’s longevity but disproportionally affects older adults.

2. Sustainability Drive

As the world faces the looming threat of irreversible climate change, pressure is mounting on the world’s largest carbon emitters. China, currently the largest of them all, due to its 1.4 billion population and explosive economic growth, is facing pressure from other countries to curb its output.

In 2020, President Xi Jinping said China would aim for emissions to reach their highest point before 2030 and carbon neutrality before 206091. To achieve this, China is introducing a wash of initiatives including, “phasing down” coal use from 202692, switching to green energy solutions93 , increasing greenery94 and investing heavily in electric vehicles95 .

This introduction of policy and initiatives to help curb climate change is likely to continue into the coming decade as the country looks to control its emissions.

© Vista Wei

3. Health and Fitness Focused Citizens

Increasingly older adults in China are focusing more heavily on their health and wellbeing, with many taking up fitnessoriented products and services.

According to a survey conducted96 by Tencent, the most widely participated social activities amongst the middleaged and older adults are sports and fitness and tourism, with 70.1% and 67.4% of middle-aged and older adults participating.

Seeing the potential of this ageing demographic several Chinese fitness brands, including Keep97 and Leke98 , have begun to target older adults with new fitness offerings tailored to their needs.

Fitness data released by Leke99 in October 2021 shows the number of users on the platforms over the age of 60 has grown significantly in the past two years, with an average annual growth rate of nearly 30%.

Keep, which recently completed an $80 million Series E round of financing100 , has publicly stated that it will develop tailored services for older adults, launching customized content such as rehabilitation, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular courses.

Key Opinion Leaders101 on short-form video platforms such as Douyin and Kuaishou are also helping to fuel the growing interest in fitness amongst older adults.

This heightened focus on fitness will likely draw attention to the external factors impacting fitness and health, such as pollution levels. As a result, polluting mobility solutions that adversely impact the health of older adults will fall out of favour for less polluting solutions.