China’s Sustainable Energy Transition Path to Low-Carbon Renewable Infrastructure Manufacturing under Green Trade Barriers

Jing Tang, Xiao Xiao, Mengqi Han (), Rui Shan, Dungang Gu, Tingting Hu, Guanghui Li, Pinhua Rao, Nan Zhang and Jiaqi Lu ()
Additional contact information
Jing Tang: Innovation Centre for Environment and Resources, Shanghai University of Engineering Science, No. 333 Longteng Road, Songjiang District, Shanghai 201620, China
Xiao Xiao: Innovation Centre for Environment and Resources, Shanghai University of Engineering Science, No. 333 Longteng Road, Songjiang District, Shanghai 201620, China
Mengqi Han: Innovation Centre for Environment and Resources, Shanghai University of Engineering Science, No. 333 Longteng Road, Songjiang District, Shanghai 201620, China
Dungang Gu: Innovation Centre for Environment and Resources, Shanghai University of Engineering Science, No. 333 Longteng Road, Songjiang District, Shanghai 201620, China
Tingting Hu: Innovation Centre for Environment and Resources, Shanghai University of Engineering Science, No. 333 Longteng Road, Songjiang District, Shanghai 201620, China
Guanghui Li: Innovation Centre for Environment and Resources, Shanghai University of Engineering Science, No. 333 Longteng Road, Songjiang District, Shanghai 201620, China
Pinhua Rao: Innovation Centre for Environment and Resources, Shanghai University of Engineering Science, No. 333 Longteng Road, Songjiang District, Shanghai 201620, China
Nan Zhang: Centre for Process Integration, Department of Chemical Engineering and Analytical Science, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
Jiaqi Lu: Innovation Centre for Environment and Resources, Shanghai University of Engineering Science, No. 333 Longteng Road, Songjiang District, Shanghai 201620, China

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 8, 1-16

Abstract: Facing green trade barriers from developed nations, particularly the EU, based on product carbon footprints, China’s renewable energy industries confront significant challenges in transitioning towards sustainability and low carbon emissions. This study delves into the carbon footprint of China’s renewable infrastructure, evaluating wind turbines, photovoltaic (PV) panels, and lithium batteries across varied decarbonization scenarios, emphasizing both production and international trade transportation. The initial findings for 2022 indicate baseline carbon footprints of 990,701 kg CO 2 -eq/MW for wind turbines, 2994.97 kg CO 2 -eq/kWp for PV panels, and 67.53 kg CO 2 -eq/kWh for batteries. Projections for 2050 suggest that decarbonization advancements could slash these footprints by up to 36.1% for wind turbines, 76.7% for PV panels, and 72.5% for batteries, closely mirroring the EU’s 2050 low-carbon benchmarks. Considerable carbon footprints from both domestic and international transportation have been quantified, underscoring the importance of logistic decarbonization. Based on these results, it is concluded that China’s steadfast commitment to a sustainable and climate-ambitious development path can provide globally competitive, low-carbon renewable infrastructure after 2030. The study advocates for a collaborative approach to product decarbonization across international trade, as opposed to erecting barriers, to effectively contribute to global climate objectives.

Keywords: green trade barriers; product carbon footprint; renewable infrastructure; decarbonization scenarios; China; international trade transportation; sustainable development; carbon neutrality (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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