Spatiotemporal characteristics and driving mechanisms of household energy transition in rural China: Micro-evidence from 2005 to 2017

Abstract

Facilitating the household energy transition in rural China conducive to mitigate climate change, improve population health, and achieve ‘carbon peaking and carbon neutrality’ goals. However, there was no consensus in existing research on the regularity of rural household energy transition from a micro perspective. Based on data from 339 villages spanning 2005–2017, with the help of kernel density estimation(KDE), exploratory spatial data analysis (ESDA), and logistic regression, we evaluated the effectiveness of household energy transition and comprehensively analyzed the temporal and spatial characteristics of the energy transition process from geographic perspective, revealed the driving mechanisms behind household energy transition, with important findings. (i) In 2005–2015, 19.22 % and 13.08 % of rural households achieved fuel and heating transition, but there were evident regional differences and correlation effects in energy transition. (ii) The proportion of energy transitions increases, yet always a polarised lattice phenomenon, and the spatial adjacent spillover effect makes the energy transition present the spatial pattern of ‘villages divided into clusters’. (iii) The drivers of different types household energy transition vary, income and topography continued to limit the energy transition of rural households. Therefore, designing differentiated policies and pathways by region is critical in the clean energy transition. In addition, local governments can increase incentives for clean energy utilization by setting reasonable subsidies for continuous clean energy transition.