<Chapter 1> Climate-energy policy: Domestic policy process, outcome and impacts (Part I Why China’s carbon-energy policy matters)

Abstract

As an introduction, this chapter aims to define the five key concepts throughout this volume to develop a logical framework that links them: the climate-energy conundrum, climate-energy policy, socio-technological transition, the resource curse, and the disruption of livelihood and ecology. In short, the global climate change concerns raises the climate-energy conundrum, while technological and institutional lock-in makes it hard for the government to advance socio-technological transition of the energy infrastructure system toward a low CO2 emission pathway. Climate-energy policy is generally created as a compromise among the conflicts of interests between multiple stakeholders, which would be less effective in reducing CO2 emission and bring domestic and/or international implications or both, including a resource curse and the disruption of livelihood and ecology. The framework also points out that, climate-energy policy and its domestic and international implications vary by country, alluding to possible consequences found through in-depth analyses of later chapters.