Toward carbon neutrality in China: A comparison between traditional and emerging forms of renewable energy

Abstract

With a rise of global collective efforts to confront the climate change, China has announced to contribute to the common future by achieving carbon neutrality by 2060. Since the countrys largest portion of energy consumption is fossil fuels, there are great opportunities to mitigate carbon emissions by promoting a wider use of renewable energy and realizing a green transition. Therefore, this study aims to compare Chinas progress in terms of the traditional and emerging renewable energy sources, which are represented by solar photovoltaic (PV) and hydrogen power. The study approaches these objects by evaluating their opportunities and challenges respectively. On the one hand, it indicates that while traditional renewable energy demonstrating great potential and dominating the present market, the challenges also encourage people to consider exploring new forms of renewable energy. On the other hand, the emerging forms of renewable energy are far from being commercially available and require support for future breakthrough. The study also suggests that if the government emphasize the technical innovation, financial support, and clearer guidance for the renewable energy industry, it would further set off the future of Chinas green development.