Abstract
While many developed countries have announced policies for energy transitions, particularly in regard to greenhouse gas emissions, some emerging nations do not appear to be positioned to achieve the goal of net zero carbon. This policy paper focuses on two countries, China and India, which derive the bulk of their energy from coal, and are key to a net zero carbon world. Both countries have prioritized energy security and view all climate initiatives through this prism. They also distinguish between the early industrializers responsible for the bulk of the stock of GHGs, and emerging nations accountable for part of the current flow of emissions. Numerous initiatives have already been undertaken, and policies announced, for cutting carbon emissions in both China and India. However, both countries face major impediments to undertake the measures needed to curb their dependence on coal. Employing a qualitative interpretive methodology rooted in grounded theory, the paper examines the complex energy dynamics facing these two nations, the actions adopted, and policies formulated to limit emissions. The technological, social, political, and financial challenges they face are developed in some detail. Unless mechanisms are devised to support appropriate climate policies, and reduce coal-dependency in China and India, the successful implementation of climate policies in developed nations will not be sufficient to achieve a carbon neutral world.
Highlights
As wildfires, floods, droughts, hurricanes, ocean level rising, loss of biodiversity, and other such phenomena intensify, a heightened sense of urgency to deal with the climate crisis/emergency (NASA, 2020; Wallace-Wells, 2019) seems to have taken hold across the world
In this policy-oriented paper, we lay out the plans that each of these Asian countries has formulated to get to a net zero carbon position over the three to four decades, as well as the multiple challenges that need to be overcome in achieving carbon neutrality
The ramp up in electric vehicle (EV) sales is clearly a big step toward curbing the use of liquid fossil fuels. With coal being such a big part of China’s energy mix, EV charging stations are likely to be dependent on coal-based power, which would result in a net addition to carbon emissions
Summary
Floods, droughts, hurricanes, ocean level rising, loss of biodiversity, and other such phenomena intensify, a heightened sense of urgency to deal with the climate crisis/emergency (NASA, 2020; Wallace-Wells, 2019) seems to have taken hold across the world. Many of the major carbon emitting nations have set a target date of 2050 (in the case of China, 2060) to reach net zero carbon, that is, emissions minus removals. The EU as a whole aims to reach net zero carbon by 2050, while cutting emissions by 55% (from 2005 levels), by 2030 (Europa(a), 2020). The US, after an earlier decision to withdraw from the Paris Accord, appears to be ready to go beyond its obligations by cutting emissions by more than it had committed to by 2030 and achieve a transition to net zero carbon by 2050 (Darby & Gerretsen, 2019). The EU and the US are critical to rapidly minimizing carbon emissions, their efforts alone will not succeed in stopping the rise in average global temperatures
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