Paper short abstract:

China's energy investment and policies illustrate the ambiguities of the international scenario. One observes moves toward green and renewable alternatives while carbon lock-in persists through coal investments. This paper examines pieces of evidence and discusses prospects for a just transition.

Paper long abstract:

Public and private actors implied in the Chinese energy transition process direct resources and power influencing energy dynamics. Some efforts strengthen and others weaken political and institutional path-dependences and lock-in of the incumbent regimen. (MORI, 2018). China's energy investment and policies illustrate the ambiguities of the international scenario. One observes moves toward green and renewable alternatives while carbon lock-in persists through coal investments. This paper examines pieces of evidence and discusses prospects for a just transition. In the chess of energy transitions, China is a big player on the global scene, playing on two chessboards: the domestic and the international. On the domestic one, investments seem to point towards a renewable energy transition, with analysts pointing to the case of important initiatives to strengthen renewable technologies, as is the case in Beijing (XIE; COLTON, 2022). Besides, Shenzhen, China's first Special Economic Zone, is considered a demonstration pilot in green cities in China, with leadership in renewable energy projects (LIANG et al, 2022). However, there is also evidence showing the interest of incumbent regime actors in recovering capital through investments in coal-fired plants in countries such as Indonesia and Vietnam (MORI, 2018; GALLAGHER et al, 2021). One argument is that these pieces of evidence have implications that may jeopardize climate change mitigation efforts and a just, low-carbon energy transition (CLARK; ZUCKER; URPELAINEN, 2020; EDIANTO; TRENCHER; MATSUBAE, 2022). This case from China reality illustrates key issues on the materiality of the intrinsic conflictual nature of energy investments that call for normative thinking.