Energy transition in China: Assessing progress in sustainable development and resilience directions

Abstract

China is often referred to as a global benchmark for the energy transition. Regarding energy sustainability, China's strategies and policies might be viewed as either highly innovative or detrimental. Considering the Chinese economy, population, consumption, and pollution rates, the country's energy transition decisions are deemed major determinants for the present and future global energy sustainability, resilience and related conditions. This paper aims to provide a measure and definition of these phenomena to characterize selected aspects, highlighting China's global and regional status. To this end, an interval-based composite indicator assessment is reviewed, indicating that China holds a mid-tier status in terms of energy sustainability relative to global standards. Therefore, energy security standards serve as the foundation for China's transition path to ensuring a clean, renewable and sustainable energy supply and resilience in the future conditional to universal and democratic energy justice achievement.