Does the transition to low-carbon energy alleviate urban-rural energy inequality? The case of China.

This paper aims to investigate whether China can reduce urban-rural energy inequality during its transition to low-carbon energy. Using data from 30 Chinese provinces between 2006 and 2019, we employ the system generalized method of moments (SYS-GMM) to investigate the correlation between low-carbon energy transition (LET) and urban-rural energy inequality. Furthermore, to investigate the mechanism, this study also considers energy service accessibility and industrial structure upgrading. The results of the study show that the degree of LET in China is increasing but with uneven spatial distribution. Moreover, LET is effective in reducing urban-rural energy inequality in China. Specifically, 1 % increase in LET corresponds to 0.045 % reduction in the urban-rural energy inequality index. Additionally, energy service accessibility and industrial structure upgrading are identified as effective channels for LET to mitigate urban-rural energy inequality. Furthermore, our study demonstrates that the alleviating impact of LET on energy inequality is more significant in regions where LET and urban-rural energy inequality levels are high. Drawing on our research results, we suggest policy recommendations to encourage the adoption of low-carbon energy sources and diminish urban-rural energy inequality.

How does green digital finance drive the low-carbon energy transition in China?

In the modern world, green digital financing is believed to be an efficient, resilient, and viable source of funding for crisis conditions and to solve the preceding issues in a timely manner. It is a modern tool of financing mainly introduced by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. Following the paths, most economies started considering it to solve their national economic issues. Thus, to fulfill the requirements of the modern world, current research aims to study the driving role of green digital financing on low-carbon energy transition in China. Using the generalized method of moments (GMM) model based on data collected from 2015 to 2020, this research made an effort to determine the empirical nexus between the green digital financing index and the low-carbon energy transition index and to recommend the possible policy implications to the policymakers and other practitioners. Results have shown that a 0.27% rise in green digital financing is observed in the Chinese economy from scratch, and it resulted from a 0.365% efficiency in the low-carbon energy transition in China. Accordingly, the study resulted that the role of green digital finance is clustering in the Chinese renewable energy industry, which impacts both the performance of the Chinese renewable energy industry and the economy. For more resilience, extended efficiency and viable energy transition study suggested the practical implications for the stakeholders to consider for practice. The novelty of the study is its motivation, findings, and solutions.

Assessing the influence of energy transition on economic-social growth: the case of China.

In recent years, because of the one-sided interpretation of the nexus between the green & low-carbon energy transition and the high-quality economic-social growth, some over-idealized due-oriented judgments have led to failures in theories or deviations from practices. It is necessary and typical to select the panel data of 30 provinces in China from 2010 to 2020 to demonstrate that nexus, since China plays a different role in both climate change and global energy security. This paper defines and measures both the high-quality economic-social growth and the green & low-carbon energy transition efficiency. After analyzing the structure characteristics of energy transition, it also discusses the impact of the transition efficiency on the high-quality growth. The results indicate that the inflection point from quantitative to qualitative change in the regional high-quality growth has not yet arrived, while the developed regions and the developing regions are still grappling with pronounced problems of imbalance and insufficiency. As far as now, the energy transition efficiency in the energy resource centers is much higher than that in the energy load centers. The provinces with a characteristic of energy supply-demand equilibrium have seamlessly shifted from the Introduction stage of green & low-carbon development to the Growth stage. Both the decrease in energy intensity and the increase in renewable share are able to promote high-quality economic-social development obviously; however, the reduction of per capita carbon emission cannot yield the expected positive externality in a short run.

Legal responses to energy security and sustainability in Nigeria's power sector amidst fossil fuel disruptions and low carbon energy transition.

Fundamentally, energy could be refer to as the cornerstone for progress of most nations, as a lack of unswerving energy sources perpetuates poverty and impedes economic development. In Nigeria, there exists an abundance of low-carbon energy resources that hold immense potential for fostering sustainable growth. Regrettably, Nigeria has yet to fully harness these resources to drive its economic expansion and bolster its power sector. This study undertakes a thorough exploration of the untapped capacity of low-carbon energy bases in the country, with the aim of ensuring a consistent and dependable electricity supply. The research methodology employed in this study encompasses both empirical and doctrinal legal research approaches, drawing upon a wide range of primary and secondary sources, including authoritative energy law textbooks and peer-reviewed journals. In order to gain valuable insights into achieving a stable electricity supply in Nigeria, a meticulous comparative legal analysis of low-carbon energy practices was conducted, focusing on the experiences of China, Spain, Germany, and Nigeria. By applying legal theories and empirical procedures, the study estimated carbon emissions using the auto-regressive distributed lag model. The data exploited in this study were acquired from the World Bank's World Development Indicator (WDI, 2021), a renowned public domain repository of economic development data encompassing numerous countries worldwide. The findings of this study demystify the positive association between electricity consumption and substantial fluctuations in CO2 emissions, as demonstrated by both short-run and long-run model estimations. Significantly, the presence of hydroelectric power sources emerged as a pivotal factor in curbing carbon emissions. Moreover, the study's error correction model findings unveil a noteworthy mechanism of systemic convergence when confronted with external shocks. To facilitate the adoption of low-carbon energy sources, the study proposes a hybrid model that combines various approaches, while underscoring the urgent need for reforming Nigeria's energy laws to address environmental concerns and promote security and sustainability. The practical implications and policy applications of this research highlight its potential to provide policymakers in Nigeria and beyond with invaluable insights for formulating effective measures aimed at reducing carbon emissions arising from electricity generation and consumption.

Green finance, the low-carbon energy transition, and environmental pollution: evidence from China.

With 2008-2020 China's provincial panel data as the research object, we use the entropy weight method to compute green finance and pollution, and we empirically study the scope of the spillover effects and threshold impacts of green finance on environmental pollution using the spatial Durbin model and threshold regression model. The findings are as follows: first, under different spatial weight matrices, green finance has a spatial spillover effect on pollution. And the effect boundary is approximately 500 km. Second, with the low-carbon energy transition, technological progress, and green finance as threshold variables, there are a single threshold, single threshold, and double threshold, respectively, that have significant threshold effects. Third, the spillover and threshold effects of green finance on pollution differ by region. The indirect effect is negative in the eastern region and positive in the central and western regions. There is a single threshold effect of low-carbon energy transition and green finance in the western region, a single threshold effect of green finance in the central region, and a single threshold effect of technological progress in the eastern region. On this basis, we put forward. specific policy recommendations.

Can China's renewable energy industry policy support the low-carbon energy transition effectively?

To cope with global climate change and energy security, the realization of the low-carbon energy transition has become an inevitable choice for international carbon emission reduction requirements and energy structure adjustment. Vigorously developing renewable energy has become an essential part of energy policies in many countries. Under the incentive and guidance of renewable energy industry policy, China's renewable energy has developed rapidly, and energy structure has been optimized. However, many problems have been exposed. Can China's renewable energy industry policy effectively support low-carbon energy transition? This paper uses the method of theoretical analysis, combining literature analysis and data analysis. Based on the analysis of renewable energy policies in countries with relatively mature energy transitions, it analyzes the status quo, implementation effect, and problems of renewable energy policy in China and proposes policy suggestions. According to the research, the existing problems are as follows: (1) diminishing marginal effect of policies, (2) policy adjustment is not timely and lacks details and operability, (3) coordination conflicts between the old and new policies, (4) unreasonable policy supply structure, and (5) the negative impact of subsidy policy is increasing. Therefore, this paper argues that China's renewable energy industry policy cannot effectively support the low-carbon energy transition.

Realizing a human-centered digitalization of the energy sector.

The digitalization of the energy sector is in progress, but Europe is about to fall behind. A human-centered design approach ensures that it takes place with, and for the benefit of, people, for which this letter puts forward policy recommendations. People need access to tailored and ready-for-use tools that help the realization of societal co-benefits, bring individual gains, remove human burdens, and ensure just participation of all societal groups. Substantial additional intellectual and financial resources are required for the development of digital tools and products to seize opportunities for citizens to engage, in the energy transition, optimize energy consumption, and manage active participation.

Energy Poverty and Low Carbon Just Energy Transition: Comparative Study in Lithuania and Greece.

EU has set ambitious commitment to achieve low carbon energy and economy transition up to 2050. This low carbon transition means sustainable energy development path based on renewable energy sources and first of all should address the energy poverty vulnerability and justice issues. The main goal of the paper is to develop indicators framework for assessing low carbon just energy transition and to apply this framework for analysis how climate change mitigation policies in households targeting enhancement of energy renovation of residential buildings and promotion of the use of micro-generation technologies and other policies are affecting household's energy poverty and vulnerability in selected countries: Lithuania and Greece. This framework allows to assess three main dimensions of sustainable energy development: environmental, social and economic. The paper provides policy recommendations how to deal with just low carbon energy transition which means addressing energy poverty issues during moving to 100% renewables in power generation based on performed case studies.