China as a Global Clean Energy Champion: Lifting the Veil

Description

This book assesses China’s reputation as a global clean energy champion, and applies institutional and public policy theories to explain how the country has achieved so much and why there continue to be so many unintended consequences and constraints to progress. It considers the extent to which the government has successfully boosted the manufacture and deployment of low-carbon electricity generating infrastructure, cleaned up thermal power generation, and enhanced energy efficiency, dramatically constraining China’s rising carbon dioxide emissions, but also examines the substantial political and financial capital required to reinforce the predominantly administrative policy instruments and the mix of special interests and poor coordination that are endemic to the energy sector. Arguing that the current approach seems to be encountering ever diminishing returns, the book considers whether ongoing sector reforms and the new national emissions trading scheme can reinvigorate the nation’s clean energy trajectory. Front Matter ....Pages i-xvii Introduction (Philip Andrews-Speed, Sufang Zhang)....Pages 1-15 China as a Global Clean Energy Champion: Goals and Achievements (Philip Andrews-Speed, Sufang Zhang)....Pages 17-32 Transitions, Institutions and Public Policy (Philip Andrews-Speed, Sufang Zhang)....Pages 33-68 Governance in China (Philip Andrews-Speed, Sufang Zhang)....Pages 69-103 Low-Carbon Electricity (Philip Andrews-Speed, Sufang Zhang)....Pages 105-136 Low-Carbon Electricity Technology, Innovation, Manufacturing and Internationalisation (Philip Andrews-Speed, Sufang Zhang)....Pages 137-161 Fossil Fuels (Philip Andrews-Speed, Sufang Zhang)....Pages 163-191 Energy Efficiency and Conservation (Philip Andrews-Speed, Sufang Zhang)....Pages 193-214 The Water-Energy-Food Nexus (Philip Andrews-Speed, Sufang Zhang)....Pages 215-243 Carbon Pricing (Philip Andrews-Speed, Sufang Zhang)....Pages 245-263 Conclusions (Philip Andrews-Speed, Sufang Zhang)....Pages 265-274 Back Matter ....Pages 275-339