What can China learn from the UK's transition to a low-carbon power sector? A multi-level perspective

Abstract

The power sector needs to take the lead in decarbonizing to support China's carbon neutrality goal. It is urgent to explore the potential and pathways of decarbonization of China's power sector. The United Kingdom (UK) has achieved significant greenhouse gas reductions in the power sector through a series of long-term initiatives. Firstly, this paper applies the multi-level perspective approach to investigate the historical transition pathways of the UK power sector into three stages. Then it analyzes the interactions among technological niche, socio-technological regime and landscape, and summarizes the replicable experience of decarbonization in the process. Extending the UK experience to China, this paper explores the initiatives for accelerating China's power sector decarbonization from the multi-level perspective and proposes possible future transition pathways.