Presentation short abstract

This presentation examines climate imaginaries of Chinese scientists through 44 surveys and 17 interviews. We identify a hegemonic Carbon Neutrality Imaginary emphasising techno-market solutions, complemented by Harmony and Human Well-Being Elemental Imaginaries providing cultural context.

Presentation long abstract

Scientists in China approach climate futures with an optimistic focus on carbon neutrality and a strong belief in technology and market mechanisms. While China’s role in global climate governance is significant and heavily influenced by scientists, the normative assumptions and perceptions of Chinese scientists remain underexplored. To address this gap, we examine climate imaginaries reproduced by Chinese scientists and ask: What climate imaginaries are held by climate and environmental scientists in China? Climate imaginaries are collectively held visions of desirable futures that reveal the values and problematisations shaping climate knowledge production. Drawing on qualitative content analysis of 44 survey responses and 17 interviews with scientists from elite Chinese universities, we identify one hegemonic Carbon Neutrality Imaginary, which problematizes emissions and favours techno-market solutions. The Carbon Neutrality Imaginary is complemented by the Harmony and the Human Well-Being Elemental Imaginaries, which offer the ideological framework and represent the cultural context. While we suggest an interconnected perspective on the imaginaries based on policy developments, the hegemony of the Carbon Neutrality Imaginary indicates the importance of China’s carbon neutrality pledge over other policy discourses, such as the ecological civilisation or harmonious society. These imaginaries are accompanied by widespread confidence in China's capacity to address climate change through state-led technological and market innovations. However, this optimism risks naturalising market-based governance rationalities while foreclosing alternative socio-ecological pathways, warranting critical scrutiny of how scientists' normative assumptions shape and constrain climate futures.