China’s Clean Energy Challenges

China’s new leadership faces complicated, pressing demands in shaping its energy policy. Air pollution has become a major political, social and even international issue that has moved high up on the leadership’s agenda. Growing turmoil in the Middle East is increasing Beijing’s concerns about its future energy security. Further, as the world’s largest current emitter of greenhouse gases, China enters international climate change negotiations in a sensitive position. Additionally, the nuclear disaster in Japan has increased China’s sensitivity to the safety risks associated with reliance on nuclear power as a possible solution to the country’s growing energy and environmental demands.

In this context, China’s new leadership has explicitly made developing an “ecological civilization” one of the pillars of its reform efforts. Development of China’s reportedly large deposits of shale gas, expansion of its “clean coal” capabilities and increased nuclear power generation are important components of this effort.

On February 6, the John L. Thornton China Center at the Brookings Institution hosted a panel discussion to evaluate China’s changing energy priorities and policies, their implications for U.S.-China energy cooperation and the growing demand and prospects for China’s energy future.

Download The United States and China: Moving Toward Responsible Shale Gas Development by Sarah Forbes » (PDF)

Download The United States and China: Making Nuclear Energy Safer by Jane Nakano » (PDF)

Download The United States and China: Moving Forward on Coal and Clinate Change by Kelly Sims Gallgaher » (PDF)