Three Energy Gamechangers for China and the World

This briefing by RMI outlines a strategic framework for China to transition away from fossil fuels by 'reinventing fire' through innovation and leapfrogging traditional industrial paths. The document focuses specifically on the first of three proposed 'gamechangers': achieving oil-free mobility through vehicle lightweighting, electrification, logistics optimization, and the adoption of advanced biofuels and hydrogen.

• 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, with particulate emissions negatively impacting public health.
• RMI proposes a 'reinventing fire' approach for China to decouple economic growth from material energy flows by leapfrogging Western industrial paths. A previous RMI analysis of the United States suggested that such a transition could support a 158-percent-bigger economy by 2050 while reducing carbon dioxide emissions by over 80 percent compared to 2000 levels and saving $5 trillion in net present value.
• Achieving oil-free mobility in China requires a combination of lightweighting and electrification. Using carbon-fiber composites instead of metals can reduce vehicle weight by 50–70 percent and energy needs by half to two-thirds, which in turn makes electric propulsion more affordable by reducing the required number of batteries or fuel cells by half to two-thirds.
• China's freight and logistics sector presents opportunities for efficiency gains through technical improvements and operational optimization. Loading rates in China are one-third lower than in developed countries, partly because 90 percent of road freight is handled by providers with ten or fewer trucks, and 40 percent by single-truck carriers.
• For heavy-duty transport where electrification is not economic, such as air and boat travel, RMI suggests replacing oil with advanced biofuels, hydrogen, or natural gas in the near term.

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} }