Authoritarian environmentalism is a non-participatory approach to public policy-making and implementation in the face of severe environmental challenges. Using the case of China's climate change policy, the meaning, causes, and consequences of authoritarian environmentalism are explored. A key finding is that authoritarian environmentalism is more effective in producing policy outputs than outcomes. Theoretical and policy implications follow.

https://people.uwec.edu/jamelsem/papers/CC_Literature_Web_Share/Policy/CC_Authoritarian_Environmentalism_China_Gilley_2012.pdf

Authoritarian environmentalism and China's response to climate change

Renewable energy and energy efficiency (REEE) policies have far-reaching implications for energy security, climate change, economic competitiveness, pollution, and human livelihood. For these reasons, REEE has become a national priority for the Chinese government, particularly since 2005. This paper aims to critically review China's REEE policies in six sectors: electricity, industry, transportation, buildings, and local government. In addition to examining the progress China has made in the development and implementation of REEE policies, this review also identifies limitations and room for improvement. Finally, five policy recommendations are presented.

A critical review of China's rapidly developing renewable energy and energy efficiency policies

Energy consumption and CO2 emissions in China's cement industry: A perspective from LMDI decomposition analysis

https://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1056&context=econrealestatefacpub

Regional allocation of carbon dioxide abatement in China

Between 2000 and 2010, China׳s electricity production had increased threefold and accounted for 50% of domestic and 12% of global CO 2 emissions in 2010. Substantial changes in the electricity fuel mix are urgently required to meet China׳s carbon intensity target of reducing CO 2 emissions by 40–45% by 2020. Moreover, electricity production is the second largest consumer of water in China, but water requirements vary significantly between different electricity generation technologies. By integrating process-based life-cycle analysis (LCA) and input–output analysis (IOA) and through tracking national supply chains, we have provided a detailed account of total life-cycle carbon emissions (g/kWh) and water consumption (l/kWh) for eight electricity generation technologies – (pulverized) coal, gas, oil, hydro, nuclear, wind, solar photovoltaic, and biomass. We have demonstrated that a shift to low carbon renewable electricity generation technologies, i.e. wind, could potentially save more than 79% of total life-cycle CO 2 emissions and more than 50% water consumption per kWh electricity generation compared to the current fuel mix and technology for electricity generation. If the projected wind farms are built by 2020, Inner Mongolia, one of the water scarce northern provinces, would annually save 179 MT CO 2 (i.e. 44% of Inner Mongolia׳s total CO 2 emissions in 2008) and 418 million m 3 (Mm 3 ) water (18% of its industrial water use in 2008) compared with the same amount of electricity produced from coal.

/pdf/the-energy-and-water-nexus-in-chinese-electricity-production-36yqepsmi0.pdf

The energy and water nexus in Chinese electricity production: A hybrid life cycle analysis

Assessment of China's energy-saving and emission-reduction accomplishments and opportunities during the 11th Five Year Plan

E RNEST O RLANDO L AWRENCE B ERKELEY N ATIONAL L ABORATORY Business Case for Energy Efficiency in Support of Climate Change Mitigation, Economic and Societal Benefits in China Michael A. McNeil, Nicholas Bojda, Jing Ke, Yining Qin, Stephane de la Rue du Can, David Fridley, Virginie E. Letschert and James E. McMahon Environmental Energy Technologies Division August 18, 2011 This work was supported by the International Copper Association through the U.S. Department of Energy under Contract No. DE-AC02-05CH11231.

/pdf/business-case-for-energy-efficiency-in-support-of-climate-qnras1teit.pdf

Business Case for Energy Efficiency in Support of Climate Change Mitigation, Economic and Societal Benefits in China

Urbanization is reshaping China’s economy, society, and energy system. Between 1990 and 2008 China added more than 300 million new urban residents, bringing the total urbanization rate to 46%. The ongoing population shift is spurring energy demand for new construction, as well as additional residential use with the replacement of rural biomass by urban commercial energy services. This project developed a modeling tool to quantify the full energy consequences of a particular form of urban residential development in order to identify energy- and carbon-efficient modes of neighborhood-level development and help mitigate resource and environmental implications of swelling cities.LBNL developed an integrated modeling tool that combines process-based lifecycle assessment with agent-based building operational energy use, personal transport, and consumption modeling. The lifecycle assessment approach was used to quantify energy and carbon emissions embodied in building materials production, construction, maintenance, and demolition. To provide more comprehensive analysis, LBNL developed an agent-based model as described below. The model was applied to LuJing, a residential development in Jinan, Shandong Province, to provide a case study and model proof of concept.

Urban Form Energy Use and Emissions in China: Preliminary Findings and Model Proof of Concept

Clean energy heating electrification programs provide a promising way to reduce carbon emissions from fossil fuel combustion and consumption. This work studies the cost competitiveness of clean energy heating technologies under three dynamic mechanisms: investment costs, subsidy policies, and operating costs with real data. It provides key insights into the cost competitiveness of the different heating technologies deployed in different areas, as well as their sensitivity to the three dynamic mechanisms. The results show that currently, the distinct heating programs are more cost-efficient in the urban area with existing heating networks. The average payback period of all district clean energy heating programs in the urban area is 14.9 years, while that of the individual clean heating programs is 24.7 years. The individual heating programs are becoming increasingly cost-competitive with the incentive mechanisms, especially the electricity pricing mechanisms. Moreover, individual heating technologies present remarkable advantages on flexibility and sustainability in the long run. According to the technology diffusion model proposed in this paper, the individual clean heating programs will occupy more than 50% of the market share in 2050 under the comprehensive effect of CAPEX, government subsidies, and OPEX. The real-world results and analysis render references to shape the pathway of clean energy heating electrification in Northwest China and other regions with a similar situation. • Describe ten typical clean energy heating electrification programs. • Analysis of the cost competitiveness of those programs under economic, technical, and political factors. • Predict the development pathway of each clean energy heating electrification program. 

Yining Qin

Papers

Assessment of China's energy-saving and emission-reduction accomplishments and opportunities during the 11th Five Year Plan

Business Case for Energy Efficiency in Support of Climate Change Mitigation, Economic and Societal Benefits in China

Urban Form Energy Use and Emissions in China: Preliminary Findings and Model Proof of Concept

Pathways of clean energy heating electrification programs for reducing carbon emissions in Northwest China