Three Energy Gamechangers for China and the World

The briefing proposes that China can avoid energy insecurity and pollution by 'reinventing fire'—transitioning from fossil fuels to energy efficiency and renewables. It identifies three key areas for transformation: oil-free mobility, integrative design for buildings and industry, and redefining the electric grid. The text focuses on oil-free mobility, suggesting that combining vehicle lightweighting (using carbon-fiber composites) with electrification can reduce energy needs by half to two-thirds and make electric vehicles more economic. It also emphasizes the need for logistics optimization to address low loading rates and the use of advanced biofuels or hydrogen for heavy-duty transport where electrification is not viable.

• China faces significant energy security and environmental risks as the world's largest importer of oil and coal, and the largest emitter of carbon dioxide.
• RMI's 'Reinventing Fire' analysis indicates that a transition to energy efficiency and renewables can be highly profitable; for example, the US could potentially support a 158% larger economy by 2050 while eliminating coal and oil and saving $5 trillion in net present value.
• Achieving oil-free mobility in China requires a combination of lightweighting vehicles with carbon-fiber composites and electrification, which can reduce an automobile's total weight by 50–70% and its energy needs by approximately half to two-thirds.
• China's freight logistics are inefficient compared to developed countries, with loading rates being one-third lower, partly because 40% of road freight is handled by single-truck carriers.
• For heavy-duty transport where electrification is not economic, such as aviation and shipping, the document suggests transitioning to advanced biofuels or hydrogen.

APA

RMI (2014). Three Energy Gamechangers for China and the World. https://rmi.org/resources/three-energy-gamechangers-china-world-2/

Chicago

RMI. Three Energy Gamechangers for China and the World. 2014. https://rmi.org/resources/three-energy-gamechangers-china-world-2/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=RMI |title=Three Energy Gamechangers for China and the World |date=30 September 2014 |url=https://rmi.org/resources/three-energy-gamechangers-china-world-2/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rmi2014three, author = {{RMI}}, title = {{Three Energy Gamechangers for China and the World}}, institution = {RMI}, year = {2014}, month = sep, url = {https://rmi.org/resources/three-energy-gamechangers-china-world-2/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }