He Gang, Lin Jiang, Zhang Ying, Zhang Wenhua, Larangeira Guilherme, Zhang Chao, Peng Wei, Liu Manzhi, Yang Fuqiang
Department of Technology and Society, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA.
Energy Analysis and Environmental Impacts Division, Energy Technologies Area, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
One Earth. 2020 Aug 21;3(2):187-194. doi: 10.1016/j.oneear.2020.07.012.
As the world's largest coal producer and consumer, China's transition from coal to cleaner energy sources is critical for achieving global decarbonization. Increasing regulations on air pollution and carbon emissions and decreasing costs of renewables drive China's transition away from coal; however, this transition also has implications for employment and social justice. Here, we assess China's current coal-transition policies, their barriers, and the potential for an accelerated transition, as well as the associated environmental, human health, and employment and social justice issues that may arise from the transition. We estimate that the most aggressive coal-transition pathway could reduce annual premature death related to coal combustion by 224,000 and reduce annual water consumption by 4.3 billion m in 2050 compared with business-as-usual. We highlight knowledge gaps and conclude with policy recommendations for an integrated approach to facilitate a rapid and just transition away from coal in China.
作为全球最大的煤炭生产国和消费国，中国从煤炭向清洁能源转型对于实现全球脱碳至关重要。空气污染和碳排放监管日益严格，以及可再生能源成本不断下降，推动中国摆脱对煤炭的依赖；然而，这一转型也对就业和社会公平产生影响。在此，我们评估中国当前的煤炭转型政策、其面临的障碍、加速转型的潜力，以及转型可能引发的相关环境、人类健康、就业和社会公平问题。我们估计，与照常行事相比，最激进的煤炭转型路径到2050年可使与煤炭燃烧相关的每年过早死亡人数减少22.4万，并使年用水量减少43亿立方米。我们强调了知识空白，并以政策建议作为结论，提出采用综合方法以促进中国迅速且公正地摆脱煤炭依赖。
