Balancing climate concerns and energy security

This policy brief by the Stockholm Environment Institute analyzes the duality of China's climate approach, arguing that its domestic mitigation efforts are primarily driven by urgent energy security concerns rather than environmentalism. While China maintains a pragmatic domestic policy with ambitious energy intensity and renewable targets, its international diplomacy is characterized by a struggle to balance its reputation as a responsible global power with the need to protect its economic development and sovereignty.

• China's climate mitigation policies are primarily a byproduct of strategies designed to address energy security. The country faces significant challenges as its oil fields peak while demand rises, with oil import reliance projected to reach 80 per cent by the late 2020s. Additionally, China has transitioned from a net coal exporter to an importer, with production potentially peaking in the 2020s.
• There is a distinct duality between China's domestic and international climate personas. Domestically, the approach is described as straightforward and pragmatic with ambitious targets. Internationally, its diplomacy is viewed as problematic and entangled in geopolitical maneuvering.
• China's domestic climate program is anchored in two mid-2000s energy security policies: a legally binding target to reduce energy intensity by 20 per cent by 2010 (relative to 2005 levels) and the Renewable Energy Law, which aims to increase renewables from 5 per cent in 2005 to 15 per cent of final energy consumption by 2020.
• Under the Copenhagen Accord, China pledged to reduce carbon intensity by 40-45 per cent by 2020 compared to 2005 levels. However, the document notes that China's internal domestic policy targets reflect a higher level of ambition than what it is willing to commit to on the international stage.
• China's position in international negotiations is based on the principle that industrialized nations, as the primary historical polluters, must lead mitigation efforts. China argues that developing nations should not face binding targets unless industrialized countries first assume responsibility.
• To manage international pressure and address shared development challenges, China has collaborated with India, Brazil, and South Africa in the BASIC group. This cooperation reflects China's view of climate change as a geopolitical issue and a means of establishing South-South cooperation.

APA

Hallding, K., & Olsson, M. (2010). Balancing climate concerns and energy security. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-PolicyBrief-Hallding-BalancingClimateConcernsAndEnergySecurity.pdf

Chicago

Hallding, Karl, and Marie Olsson. Balancing climate concerns and energy security. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2010. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-PolicyBrief-Hallding-BalancingClimateConcernsAndEnergySecurity.pdf.

Wikipedia

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BibTeX

@techreport{hallding2010balancing, author = {Hallding, Karl and Olsson, Marie}, title = {{Balancing climate concerns and energy security}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2010}, url = {https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-PolicyBrief-Hallding-BalancingClimateConcernsAndEnergySecurity.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }