Sustainability Through the Lens of Energy Security and Transition in China

This chapter offers an in-depth analysis of China’s multifaceted relationship between energy security, sustainability, and economic growth, recognizing China as the world’s foremost energy consumer. Using advanced bibliometric techniques, we examine the evolution of Chinese energy security literature from 1996 to 2023, revealing four interlinked clusters that provide a comprehensive insight into the country’s energy security and sustainability. We scrutinize China’s energy structure, alongside traditional understandings and narratives of energy security. Under President Xi Jinping, we argue, China sees sustainability as a strategic objective of energy security, recognizing that most significant risks to their energy systems are predominantly internal. Xi’s legitimate commitment to environmental objectives and carbon pledges stems from concerns over climate vulnerability as well as national self-interest. Despite such commitment, China struggles to balance economic growth, energy security, and environmental protection due to factors like heavy coal dependence, the influence of influential state-owned energy firms, and energy governance complexity. This chapter not only reviews Xi Jinping’s environmental and climate policies, including his promise to peak emissions by 2030 and reach carbon neutrality by 2060, but also delivers a coherent interpretation of China’s energy security and sustainability, focusing on the intertwining of historical, political, economic, and environmental variables. The study aids in enhancing understanding of China’s unique energy security approach and the resulting implications for a sustainable future.